Age Stereotypes and Self-Views Revisited: Patterns of Internalization and Projection Processes Across the Life Span

Abstract

Our findings suggest that the internalization of age stereotypes is triggered by domain-specific expectations of impending age-related changes and transitions during certain phases of the life span. Projection processes, however, seem to occur in response to changes that have already been experienced by the individual. Our study demonstrates the dynamic interrelation of age stereotypes and self-views across the life course and highlights the importance of a differentiated, life-span perspective for the understanding of these mechanisms.

Younger and Older Adults’ Mood and Expectations Regarding Aging During COVID-19

“…The current findings suggest older adults are, in general, maintaining their expectations about aging and mood amidst a global pandemic, showing similar ratings of pleasant mood, positive mood, and expectations regarding aging before and during the pandemic and rating mood and expectations about aging more positively than younger adults, despite being more concerned with the virus and its prevention. In general, older adults tend to have more positive attitudes toward aging than younger adults ( Chopik & Giasson, 2017 ; Kornadt et al, 2017 ), and these findings suggest that this is also true during a global pandemic even when there is increased societal focus on older adults’ vulnerability. Some recent work suggests that positive attitudes about aging can act as a protective factor against stress ( Bellingtier & Neupert, 2018 ; Levy et al, 2016 ), which could potentially explain why these older adults are maintaining positive attitudes.…”

Ageism: The Relationship between Age Stereotypes and Age Discrimination

“…A very interesting aspect of stereotypes about older adults which sets them apart from stereotypes based on other characteristics like gender and race is that eventually everyone gets older. At the same time, age stereotypes become internalized into perceptions older adults have about themselves and their own ageing (Kornadt et al 2015a;Levy 2009;Rothermund and Brandtstädter 2003), so-called (future) selfviews or self-perceptions of ageing. Accordingly, age stereotypes do not only affect people's behaviour towards other people (i.e., older adults) but also older adults themselves.…”

“…2.1). Processes like the internalization of stereotypes (e.g., Kornadt et al 2015a;Levy 2009) point to the role of the macro-and meso-level influences that have an indirect impact on perceived age discrimination.…”

Relations between views on ageing and perceived age discrimination: a domain-specific perspective

“…Another possible way in which negative age stereotypes are related to perceived age discrimination is through their influence on the behaviour of older people themselves: Stereotype-based expectations become internalized into views on one's own ageing process (Rothermund and Brandtstädter 2003; see also Kornadt and Rothermund 2012;Kornadt et al 2015a;Rothermund 2005). These views on ageing might prompt older adults to behave in a way that confirms the stereotype (Horton et al 2008;Lamont et al 2015;Levy 2009) or a previously encountered ageist attitude (Hehman and Bugental 2015).…”