The Impact of Stereotype Threat on Age Differences in Memory Performance

Abstract

This study investigated the hypothesis that age differences in memory performance may be influenced by stereotype threat associated with negative cultural beliefs about the impact of aging on memory. Recall was examined in 48 young and 48 older adults under conditions varying in the degree of induced threat. Conditions that maximize threat resulted in lower performance in older adults relative to both younger adults and to older adults who did not experience threat. The degree to which threat affected older adults' performance increased along with the value that these individuals placed on their memory ability. Older adults' memory performance across experimental conditions was observed to covary with degree of activation of the negative aging stereotype, providing support for the hypothesized relationship between stereotype activation and performance. Finally, stereotype threat also influenced mnemonic strategy use, which in turn partially mediated the impact of threat on recall. These results emphasize the important role played by contextual factors in determining age differences in memory performance.

“The closer you get …”: age, attitudes and self-serving evaluations about older drivers

“…This model is yet to be tested on driving performance, but data obtained by Yeung and von Hippel (2008) are congruent with the fact that stereotype threat diminishes the performance by a disruptive mental load. Similar findings are reported by Levy (1996) showing that subliminally activated age stereotypes affect self-evaluation and can change memory performance of older adults (see also Hess et al 2003).…”

How Feelings of Stereotype Threat Influence Older Adults' Memory Performance

“…Evidence consistent with such a view can be seen in a recent study by Hess, Auman, Colcombe, and Rahhal (2003), who used either positive or negative information about aging and memory in order to either contradict or reinforce traditional, negative beliefs about aging and memory relative to a neutral (no prior information) baseline. Older adults who received the negative information performed worse on a recall task than those who received either positive or no information.…”

“…Thus, a number of recent findings suggest that mediating variables such as stereotypes and anxiety (e.g., Hess et al, 2003;Levy et al, 2000;Rahhal et al, 2001) can influence age differences in memory performance. However, there are some limitations with these critical studies, such as no direct measure of stereotype activation (Rahhal et al, 2001), or a relatively strong manipulation (Hess et al, 2003).…”

“…However, there are some limitations with these critical studies, such as no direct measure of stereotype activation (Rahhal et al, 2001), or a relatively strong manipulation (Hess et al, 2003). 1 Moreover, none of these studies examined the role of self-efficacy in stereotype threat effects concerning aging and memory.…”

“…1 Moreover, none of these studies examined the role of self-efficacy in stereotype threat effects concerning aging and memory. Finally, the memory tasks used in some of these studies (e.g., Hess et al, 2003) were word recall tasks that used standard, neutral terms. Other research suggests that materials with greater social or personal relevance are more engaging to older adults (Carstensen & Turk-Charles, 1994;Rahhal, May, & Hasher, 2002), so it would be worthwhile to examine potential stereotype threat effects on memory using a task that both age groups might find interesting.…”