How negative stereotyping affects older people

Analysis of research on the effect of negative stereotypes on older people’s abilities has concluded these stereotypes are a major problem for the demographic.

A research team at the School of Psychology carried out a review and meta-analysis of Aged-Based Stereotype Threat (ABST). They statistically analysed international evidence from 37 research studies, concluding that older men and women’s memory and cognitive performance is negatively affected in situations that signal or remind them of negative age stereotypes.

The research, funded by the Economic and Social Research council (ESRC), was carried out by Ruth Lamont, working with Dr Hannah Swift and Professor Dominic Abrams. It showed that even a hint that performance was being pre-judged because of age criteria was enough to affect older people’s performance.

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