Aging and Age Stereotypes

Abstract

The present research explored developmental differences in evaluations of older adults. Two groups, one consisting of persons 30 to 45 years old and the other of persons 55 to 70 years old, rated positive-youthful, positive-elderly, negative-youthful, and negative-elderly characteristics. In Studies 1 and 2, evaluations of older adults were assessed by asking subjects to rate the characteristics on a youthful-elderly dimension. In Study 3, evaluations of older adults were assessed by asking subjects to rate the characteristics on an admirable-unadmirable dimension. Findings from the latter study indicate an ingroup evaluative bias: Adult development is accompanied by a tendency to rate characteristics associated with older adults as more admirable. By contrast, findings from Studies 1 and 2 do not indicate an ingroup evaluative bias: Adult development is not accompanied by a tendency to assign more positive or fewer negative traits to older adults. It is suggested that the differences in findings arise because Study 3 may have elicited less objective, verifiable judgments, and it may have elicited less concern about appearing age biased than do Studies 1 and 2. An unexpected and equivocal finding of greater stereotyping of the age groups by older adults is also reported.