8 - A Social Cognitive Perspective on Age Stereotypes

Abstract

This chapter examines the social cognitive perspective on age stereotypes. . The application of social cognitive principles and methods to age stereotype research has contributed to the quality of that research in several ways. First, social cognitive theories have provided a conceptual framework that can account both for age stereotypes as knowledge structures. Second, a social cognitive perspective links age stereotype research to the larger social psychological literature so that the similarities, as well as differences, between age stereotyping and other forms of stereotyping can be examined. Third, it emphasizes the social aspect of social cognition. Finally, the social cognitive literature has provided productive directions or prior research on age stereotypes and should serve as a continued source of research questions in the future. By a consideration of the social cognition research, not only the knowledge of age stereotypes be enriched by a consideration of the social cognition research issues outlined but the investigation of those issues may benefit from a focus on age stereotypes. The chapter concludes that, as the only major group classification that changes over time—outside the control of the individual—age stereotypes offer the unique advantage of allowing the study of developmental as well as intergroup perception processes in stereotyping.