Ageism: The Relationship between Age Stereotypes and Age Discrimination

Peggy Voß · Ehud Bodner · Klaus Rothermund

101 citations0/0 files storedInternational perspectives on aging

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Aging and Gerontology Research Social and Intergroup Psychology Retirement, Disability, and Employment

Abstract

One of the most widespread beliefs about the occurrence of age discrimination is that it is attributable to age stereotypes. However, the mere activation of age stereotypes is by no means a sufficient condition for the occurrence of age discrimination. Accordingly, the aim of this chapter is to critically review the hypothesis that age stereotypes cause age discrimination considering their conceptual relatedness as well as empirical evidence. It is important to acknowledge that age discrimination and age stereotypes are domain-specific phenomena. Besides taking contextual aspects into account, we also consider the perspectives of both the actor (i.e., the discriminating person) and the perceiver (i.e., the older adult who is being discriminated against and/or perceives age discrimination) to better understand the stereotype-discrimination association. Regarding the actor’s perspective, several studies identified moderators of the relationship between age stereotypes and age discrimination. This perspective can be complemented by considering that older adults themselves also hold age stereotypes that affect their interpretation of other peoples’ behaviour towards them and even their own behaviour. Accordingly, a reciprocal relation between the stereotypes held by both parts is easily conceivable where their expectations and behaviours mutually reinforce each other. In order to understand the relations between age stereotypes and age discrimination it is necessary to consider personal characteristics and contextual constraints on both parts, and to acknowledge the added complexity and domain-specificity of the relations between age stereotypes and age discrimination in real life interactions.

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References

1954Nature of Prejudice 1989Stereotypes and prejudice: Their automatic and controlled components.1990A Continuum of Impression Formation, from Category-Based to Individuating Processes: Influences of Information and Motivation on Attention and Interpretation 2002Contending with group image: The psychology of stereotype and social identity threat 2007The BIAS map: Behaviors from intergroup affect and stereotypes.2014The Influence of Attitudes on Behavior 2009Stereotype Embodiment 2005Mental illness stigma: Concepts, consequences, and initiatives to reduce stigma

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2020Ageism Linked to Culture, Not Demographics: Evidence From an 8-Billion-Word Corpus Across 20 Countries 2023Age stereotypes: Dimensions, origins, and consequences 2021Age Discrimination in the Context of Motivation and Healthy Aging 2022Associations Between Everyday ICT Usage and (Self-)Ageism: A Systematic Literature Review 2021The Role of Quality of Face-to-face Intergenerational Contact in Reducing Ageism: The Perspectives of Young People

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