Age metastereotypes at work: The influence of individual differences on age metastereotype consciousness, accessibility, and activation

Abstract

Much of the recent literature on ageism has focused on age stereotypes, the beliefs workers have about other workers because of their age. Less attention has been devoted to age metastereotypes, the stereotypes people think others are applying to them because of their age group. Following tenets of a model of workplace age metastereotype activation, we evaluated the individual difference variables that relate to age metastereotype consciousness (degree of being self-conscious of age stereotypes), age metastereotype activation (implicit cognitive cues of age metastereotypes), and age metastereotype accessibility (explicit knowledge of age metastereotype content). Study 1 (N = 272) used a cross-sectional design from a sample of working college students to show that public self-consciousness and external locus of control is related to the likelihood that a person worries about being age stereotyped (age metastereotype consciousness). Study 2 (N = 357) used a two-wave survey design from a sample of workers recruited through a crowdsourcing platform to show that older workers are particularly vulnerable to negative age metastereotype activation, the implicit process of age metastereotypes. Public self-consciousness, external locus of control, age prejudice, and age group identification inconsistently promote age metastereotype accessibility, age metastereotype activation, and age metastereotype consciousness. Theoretical and practical implications are discussed.