To help or not: negative aging stereotypes held by younger adults could promote helping behaviors toward older adults

Abstract

Aging stereotypes affect older adults’ behaviors, however, it is unclear whether and how (negative) aging stereotypes influence younger adults’ behaviors toward older adults. Two possibilities arose, such that aging stereotypes would reduce helping behaviors according to TMT and SIT; while based on the BIAS map, we would expect the opposite. The present study aimed to further compare the two possibilities by examining the effect of negative aging stereotypes on younger adults’ helping behaviors, and testing which theory would fit the data better. In a cross-sectional study (Study 1), 112 Chinese younger adults ( M = 22.67, SD = 2.56) were recruited. Aging stereotypes were measured by the Ambivalent Ageism Scale and the abbreviated ageism questionnaire. And their prosocial behaviors were measured by the modified third-party punishment task. The results revealed that high benevolent ageism would increase helping behaviors toward older adults. In the following experiment with aging stereotype priming (positive, neutral vs. negative) among 130 Chinese younger adults ( M = 26.82, SD = 3.70), we confirmed the influence of negative aging stereotypes on prosocial behaviors measured by both third-party punishment and Social Value Orientation tasks. Study 2 further demonstrated that pity might mediate the association between negative aging stereotypes and behaviors. Our results indicated that younger adults’ negative aging stereotypes could increase their prosociality toward older adults through pity in line with BIAS maps. It also had significant theoretical and practical implications for future research. For example, with more education and intergenerational contact in younger generation which could evoke pity feelings for older adults, could help to build harmonious intergenerational relations. Supplementary Information The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s12144-023-04371-0.