Age Stereotypes in Middle-Aged through Old-Old Adults

Abstract

The primary goal of the study was to compare adult age groups on aging bias, with measures of knowledge of aging in the physical, psychological, and social domains and life satisfaction. The study sample, consisting of 752 men and women, 40 to 95 years of age, was tested using Neugarten, Havighurst, and Tobin's (1961) Life Satisfaction Index (LSI) and Palmore's Facts on Aging Quiz (1998) modified to extract bias toward older adults and categorized into 3 domains: physical, psychological, and social. Independent variables were 3 levels of LSI from the Neugarten et al. quiz. Aging bias was measured among the age groups, gender, life satisfaction, and knowledge of aging domains. Significant bias differences were found in age group, life satisfaction, and knowledge of aging domain variables. Financial, health, and volunteer status interacted with these effects. Among other significant findings, the data indicate that middle-aged adults 40-59 have the most negative bias in the psychological and social domains and the least negative bias in the physical domain compared to the older participants. Both middle aged and old-old adults have the most negative aging biases. These differential aging stereotypes (positive and negative) among the physical, psychological, and social perceptions of aging over adult age groups are interpreted within aging stereotyping and aging self-stereotyping.

The relationship between age-stereotypes and health locus of control across adult age-groups

“…For example, Levy (2009) posits that sociocultural attitudes and images are internalised from a young age and become an unchallenged 'knowledge' framework. Recent research has found support for the internalisation hypothesis by showing that adults aged over 80 hold more negative ageing bias than younger adults (59-79 years: Davis & Friedrich, 2010), and the relationship between age-stereotypes and self-concept in adults aged 30-80 years is stronger for older adults (Kornadt & Rothermund, 2011). Age is also considered to be an important consideration with regard to control beliefs.…”

Investigating Older Adults’ Trust, Causal Attributions, and Perception of Capabilities in Robots as a Function of Robot Appearance, Task, and Reliability

“…Adults of all ages expect memory performance to decline with age (Lineweaver & Hertzog, 1998). Similarly, older adults' abilities are perceived negatively in domains involving memory (Kite, Stockdale, Whitley, & Johnson, 2005) and physical well-being (Davis & Friedrich, 2010). In memory taxing situations, older adults are perceived as being less credible and less accurate (Muller-Johnson, Toglia, Sweeney, & Ceci, 2007).…”

Anthropomorphic Interfaces on Automation Trust, Dependence, and Performance inYounger and Older Adults

“…Adults of all ages expect memory performance to decline with age . Similarly, older adults' abilities are perceived negatively in domains involving memory and physical well-being (Davis & Friedrich, 2010). In memory taxing situations, older adults are perceived as being less credible and less accurate .…”

“…That is, capability ratings are expected to be higher when the younger looking robot performs the tasks, and rankings are expected to be lower when an older looking robot performs the tasks. This is expected because adults' capabilities in cognitive and physical domains are expected to decline with age Davis & Friedrich, 2010). Task domain will be treated as an exploratory variable.…”