'When you have little contact, dominant negative cultural stereotypes emerge. You think an older person isn't as alert or in-the-know as a young person and maybe is not as good a teacher.'

But Kwong See warns this is not the sole factor from which these biases can develop.

'They're getting negative images of aging from cartoons, from their story books, from watching how other people interact with seniors,' she said. 'But, they're also starting to pick up some of the positive images as well if they get lots of good interactions.'

The long-term implications for these biases can be damaging in their interaction with and treatment of the elderly throughout their lives and in their own self concept as they age, she said.

'Eventually those same children, once they know those stereotypes, may find that the stereotypes become a self-fulfilling prophecy,' said Kwong See. 'They will become their stereotypes as they grow older.'