Age Stereotypes Research Articles

The Role of Digital Technologies in Facilitating Psychosocial Resilience to Sudden Social Isolation Among Older Adults: Lessons Learned from the COVID-19 Pandemic.

This study investigated how older adults adopted new technologies in response to sudden social isolation caused by the COVID-19 pandemic and how this adoption was related to their long-term psychosocial well-being. The study involved a 6-month longitudinal survey of 151 older adults and two phone-based focus groups, which informed a semi-structured interview guide and purposive sampling of diverse community-dwelling older adults. We then conducted twenty qualitative interviews and thematic analysis and mapped themes to 6-month quantitative trajectories of psychosocial health. Three themes emerged: first, most participants adopted multiple technologies to maintain social connection and psychosocial well-being. Second, participants felt left behind by certain technologies due to complicated systems or ageist societal norms. Third, pandemic-related community resources promoted technology independence among isolated older adults and those wanting to avoid "burdening" family. Results challenge ageist stereotypes and provide a framework for encouraging access and comfort with multiple technologies to adapt to sudden health crises or disruptive events.

Videos about older adults on TikTok.

Besides being one of the fastest growing platforms since entering the social media fray in 2016, TikTok is notably monopolized by teenagers, which makes it a veritable source of information not to be overlooked by gerontologists. Currently, most studies regarding age stereotypes on social media have examined content on Twitter and Facebook. Our study explores how older adults are portrayed on TikTok and the factors associated with these portrayals. We analyzed 673 videos with the hashtags #Boomer and/or #OkBoomer that received over 5.4 billion views and categorized them into nine topics. Five of these topics (e.g., 'Warmth/Coldness') were extracted from previous studies on age stereotypes. The remaining four topics were unique to our dataset (e.g., 'Wealth Gap'). The outcome variable was 'Negative Age Stereotypes' which was rated on a binary scale. One in two videos about older adults featured negative content. As hypothesized, videos containing negative age stereotypes were more likely to be about the 'Values and Beliefs of Older Adults' (7 times), 'Negative Encounters with Older Adults' (8 times) or 'Older Adults Antagonizing the Young' (13 times). Conversely, videos which portrayed older adults as 'Warm' were 43% less likely to contain negative stereotypes. As the phenomenon of an aging population fast unfolds, it is imperative that society relinquishes its tendency to stereotype individuals on the grounds of age. By examining the possible mechanisms driving negative stereotypes of older adults on TikTok, our study provides the basis upon which such stereotypes can be counteracted. In doing so, it paves the way both to improve the well-being of older persons and to foster intergenerational solidarity.

Lived experiences of breast cancer in patients under the age of 40: A phenomenological study.

The purpose of this study was to understand and describe the experiences of breast cancer in patients under age 40 years in South Korea. Data were collected from December 2020 to January 2021 through individual in-depth semi-structured interviews with 10 patients aged <40 years less than one year after they had completed treatment for breast cancer. We performed a qualitative study using Colaizzi's phenomenological method. The six theme clusters for intrapersonal, interpersonal, and sociocultural categories were as follows: 1) physical pain, 2) psychological response and need, 3) positive relationships with family members, 4) non-familial support system, 5) age stereotypes of cancer, and 6) Confucian culture in Korea. The study provides insights into the specific issues and major concerns of young breast cancer patients from multiple perspectives. Based on the results, optimized support should be developed to relieve the physical, psychological, and social burden on young breast cancer patients. Specific information and communication training should be offered to oncology nurses to provide counseling in order to reduce patient anxiety and fear related to these issues. The study emphasizes the importance of positive relationships with family and the non-familial support system and suggests that nursing intervention can help support these relationships to prevent social isolation.

Filtering Out Ageism: Unveiling Instagram's Reinforcement of Negative Stereotypes of Ageing

This study examines the depiction of ageism on Instagram, one of the most popular social media platforms. With over one billion active users, Instagram is a powerful medium for shaping societal attitudes toward ageing and older adults. Through a review of existing litera-ture, this study explores the prevalence and nature of ageist content on Instagram, its impact on users, particularly older adults, and the role of Instagram's algorithms in promoting ageist content. The study also investigates the potential for Instagram to promote positive represen-tations of ageing and countering ageist stereotypes. This study adopted a qualitative approach to find the data through hashtags and keywords. The findings suggest that ageist content, par-ticularly prevalent on Instagram and often around age-related physical changes, can contrib-ute to negative self-perceptions of ageing among older adults. Instagram's algorithms have also been found to promote ageist content, reinforcing negative stereotypes about ageing and older adults. However, Instagram also has the potential to challenge ageist stereotypes through sharing of positive ageing experiences and counter-narratives. Overall, this study provides insights into the depiction of ageism on Instagram and highlights the need for strategies to ad-dress and combat ageism on social media platforms.

Do Internalized Age Stereotypes Mediate the Relationship Between Volunteering and Self-Efficacy for Adults 50+ Years of Age?

This cross-sectional study examined whether internalized age stereotypes mediate the relationship between volunteering and self-efficacy for adults 50+ years of age. A convenience sample of volunteers (n = 173) residing in the United States of America Mountain West completed a 15-min, online survey. The independent variable was number of volunteer hours per week (mean = 6.44, SD = 5.50). The dependent variable was self-efficacy measured by five, four-point items from the general self-efficacy scale (α = .83; mean = 3.57, SD = .38). The indirect effects of five internalized positive and five negative age stereotypes were tested. Results indicate that increased internalized positive, but not negative, age stereotypes partially mediated the relationship between volunteer hours and self-efficacy. Although positive age stereotypes have long been considered a form of ageism, the findings suggest that internalized positive age stereotypes may function as a form of esteem to enhance psychosocial well-being.

Critique and Postcritique: Analyzing Age Stereotypes in Literary Studies and Health Care.

Gerontological research shows that stereotypes about older people negatively impact the quality of health care they receive. Therefore, knowledge of ageism is particularly relevant for medical students. Narrative Medicine draws on theory and methods from literary studies to interlace the humanities and medical studies. This paper first describes a Narrative Medicine intervention at the University of Southern Denmark where medical students learn about ageism and stereotypes through a presentation of gerontological research results. In addition, literary texts and methods of close reading and reflective writing are employed to help students identify problematic stereotypes. The results of a survey conducted during the intervention suggest that students' awareness about ageism increased. Yet, rather than exploring the results of the survey, this paper's second part uses the intervention as a springboard to self-critically ask what type of humanities approaches, methods and theories are best suited to convey knowledge about ageist stereotypes. The paper sketches 2 approaches within literary studies-critique and postcritique-and applies them to a poem about an older man. The paper discusses the gains and limitations of each approach and makes suggestions for how they can be joined with research about age stereotypes. To create productive pathways between the humanities and gerontology, the heterogeneity of the humanities-with literary studies as the example-need to be acknowledged. That is, clarity about the differences in humanities-based methods is crucial to establish a firmer ground for their usability in interdisciplinary contexts.

So Typical! Philip Roth's Age Stereotypes

Abstract Stereotypes and clichés about older age typically evoke criticism and resistance. Rightly so, given that they simplify, overgeneralize, distort, and limit. This article treats stereotypes and clichés as forms that can indeed have powerful and harmful meanings; however, it claims that a focus on content may overlook some of the surprising and unpredictable affordances these forms can also have: stereotypes can help order experience, offer guidelines for behavior, describe relationships, and provide solace and comfort. The article uses Philip Roth's novel Everyman as a particularly rich test case in which stereotypes and clichés abound: a grumpy and “dirty” old man sees in aging nothing but decline, tragedy, and an accumulation of illnesses—associations that age scholars have challenged for decades. These stereotypes, however, also have less predictable affordances, especially when they are conspicuously repeated and amplified via literary strategies. Rather than claiming that these strategies undermine and challenge the problematic nature of age stereotypes and clichés, this article aims to broaden the repertoire of critical approaches to these forms.

Older consumers and technology: A critical systematic literature review

Older consumers’ adoption and consumption of technologies continues to be an important research area. However, marketing scholarship on this topic risks unintentionally smuggling age stereotypes into its constructed theories. Such assumptions include older consumers’ adoption processes being complicated by health and social isolation issues and their low tech-skills. Although stereotypes hold a ‘kernel-of-truth’ and underpin meaningful research, they can transform from helpful heuristics to impediments to crafting reflexive scholarship. Therefore, this article reviews marketing literature on older consumers and technology. It develops a 2 × 3 typology to analyse 86 articles based on their portrayals of older consumers’ capabilities (incapable/capable) and technology orientations (resisting/discerning/seeking). The typology’s six emergent categories aim to turn age stereotypes into ‘productive tensions’ for researchers by encouraging critical reflexivity in ways that broaden future research possibilities. These possibilities include better accounting for older consumers who are skilled technology-seekers, and equally, non-adopters with non-technophobic reasons to resist adoption.

Modifiable dementia risk factors are associated with greater subjective cognitive concerns but not perceived susceptibility to dementia in late middle‐aged adults: Baseline characteristics of the BetterBrains Trial

AbstractBackgroundA range of lifestyle factors in midlife can increase risk for developing dementia in late‐life.1 However, it remains unclear whether the presence of such risk factors (RFs) is associated with individuals’ insight into their risk of developing dementia. In a group of middle‐aged adults with a family history of dementia enrolled in a lifestyle prevention trial, we measured associations between modifiable RF prevalence, subjective cognitive concerns, and perceived susceptibility to dementia.MethodParticipants (n = 456) enrolled in BetterBrains (betterbrains.org.au)2 completed a comprehensive self‐report RF assessment at baseline. Modifiable dementia risk was determined across four domains (vascular health, social/cognitive engagement, mood, sleep) and trial eligibility required risk in at least one domain. Participants were grouped according to the number of domains in which they reported high‐risk (ranging from 1‐4). Participants completed the Cognitive Function Instrument, and a brief questionnaire to assess perceived susceptibility to dementia (Motivation to Change Lifestyle/Health Behaviours for Dementia Risk Reduction scale). Linear regressions examined associations between modifiable RF prevalence, subjective cognition, and perceived susceptibility to dementia, adjusting for age, sex, education, negative beliefs about ageing, and beliefs about protective health behaviours on dementia risk.ResultParticipants were mostly female (80%), with an average age of 59.4 years and 15.2 years of education. Of the sample, 29.6% reported risk in all domains (29.6%) and 16.9% in three domains. Risk in a higher number of RF domains was significantly associated with greater subjective cognitive concerns (β(SE) = 0.18(0.06), p = &lt;.001), but not with greater perceived susceptibility to developing dementia (β(SE) = 0.62(0.35), p = .08). Increasingly negative beliefs about ageing and weaker beliefs in the protective effect of health behaviours were the only significant predictors of perceived susceptibility to dementia (both p’s &lt;.05).ConclusionIn middle‐aged adults, dementia RFs are associated with greater subjective cognitive concerns, but not with an increased perception of susceptibility to dementia. Incongruence between participants’ self‐report of subjective cognitive concerns and susceptibility to dementia may be due in part to poor knowledge on modifiable dementia RFs.3 Perceptions of personal susceptibility to dementia may also be tied more closely to negative ageing stereotypes typically associated with older age and family history of disease.

Literary, Found and Research Poetry: New Approaches to Representations of Aging and Aged Care.

At a time when rapid population aging is producing an emphasis on questions of healthy aging in the public discourse, conditions such as dementia, physical, and other disabilities still too often remain taboo, and this is particularly true in relation to the confronting subjects of aged care, neglect, and failures of care provision. This article considers the transformative potential of 2 different but complementary forms of poetry-research poetry and lyric poetry-to break these silences and represent experiences across the physical and emotional spectrum of aging, including the perspectives of older people and their families whose experiences are neutral, negative, or even distressing, as well as challenge and counter existing negative stereotypes of aging in the public and literary realms. Neither research poetry nor lyric poetry is common in gerontological research; however, they offer the radical potential to offer insight into the lived realities of older people and their loved ones. Research poetry uses the direct words of older people, drawing on transcripts and found texts, and giving voice to people who otherwise would not be heard. Lyric poetry, by contrast, draws more heavily on literary techniques such as metaphor and direct address to evoke sensory and intimate experiences of aging and aged care. This paper presents 2 poems comparing and contrasting the respective processes and techniques of these different poetic forms to represent the imaginary, feared, and hoped-for futures of older people, including those in aged care.

Internalization or Dissociation? Negative age stereotypes make you feel younger now but make you feel older later.

Negative age stereotypes have negative, assimilative effects on the subjective aging experience due to internalization processes, but sometimes positive contrast effects are reported as well, reflecting dissociation and downward comparisons. Our aim was thus to compare short-term and long-term consequences of age stereotypes on the subjective aging experience, to test the hypothesis that contrast effects are visible cross-sectionally, whereas internalization processes are observed when considering long-term changes. We assessed age stereotypes and subjective age in a core sample of N=459 participants (initial age range 30 - 80 years) from the Ageing as Future project (Lang et al., 2022) across three consecutive measurement occasions spanning a longitudinal interval of 10 years. Short-term and long-term effects were estimated with latent growth models by assessing effects of age stereotypes on the intercepts (cross-sectional) and on the slopes (longitudinal) of subjective age, respectively, while controlling for current self-views. Age stereotypes had opposite effects on subjective age depending on the time frame. A cross-sectional contrast effect was found, whereas longitudinal effects were assimilative in nature. Our findings support the time-dependent nature of effects of age stereotypes on the subjective aging experience. Negative age stereotypes temporarily lead to a significantly younger subjective age, indicating dissociation from one's age group and downward comparison. In the long run, however, negative (positive) age stereotypes become internalized into the self-views of older people and are linked to a relatively older (younger) subjective age.

Children's attitudes towards aging people-validation of an instrument

PurposeIt is essential to develop and improve instruments that measure and assess children's attitudes towards the elderly. Despite the degree of questions related to this topic, no tools validated for the Portuguese population on the subject were found in the literature. Consequently, this study aimed to translate and validate a scale designed to assess children’s attitudes towards the elderly (Todaro Scale) for the Portuguese population.Design and methodsThe method recommended by the literature for psychometric validation and evaluation of instruments was followed. In the conception of the study, the following stages were followed: translation of the ‘‘Todaro Scale’’, translation and back-translation by an independent translator, validation by an expert panel, pre-test and validation of the questionnaire, and testing the scale measurement properties. The convenience sample comprised 60 children between the ages of 4 and 6, of Portuguese nationality and residents of Portugal.ResultsThe results obtained in the reliability and validity tests reveal a good internal consistency. The 14 items of the scale, and after the use of principal component analysis, there were grouped into five dimensions: social participation, personality characteristics; Health and Safety, physical and instrumental; cognitive and social appreciation.ConclusionsThe psychometric study confirms that the ‘‘Galvão Scale: children’s attitudes towards the elderly’’ includes the essential indicators and dimensions to ensure an adequate assessment of children’s attitudes towards the elderly. Practice implications: we believe this research could become an indispensable contribution to analysing, monitoring, and intervening to demystify existing ageing stereotypes.

“More than just a walk in the park”: A multi-stakeholder qualitative exploration of community-based walking sport programmes for middle-aged and older adults

ABSTRACT In spite of the large-scale growth of walking sport (WS) programmes globally, limited research has explored the experiences of the key stakeholders involved in such programmes (i.e. decision-makers, facilitators, and players). We aimed to explore stakeholder experiences of community-based WS programmes to better understand the appeal of such sport options for middle-aged and older adults, and propose tentative recommendations for the feasibility and sustainability of these types of programmes. We conducted semi-structured interviews with 21 stakeholders who were involved with WS programmes in Australia as decision-makers, facilitators, and/or players. Data were analysed with reflexive thematic analysis. Four key themes pertaining to the WS experience were identified – ‘a renewed lease of life’, ‘navigating ageing stereotypes’, ‘tension between organisational demands and players’ needs’, and ‘WS facilitators as catalysts of success’. Specifically, we found that WS participation enabled a positive ageing discourse for middle-aged and older adults. WS players had to negotiate stereotypes that, at times, were perceived as participation barriers. We also noted some tensions between the demands of sport organisations and the needs of middle-aged and older adults regarding sport participation. Finally, we also noted the importance of the facilitators’ role in increasing accessibility of, and long-term participation in, such programmes. We suggest that to offer feasible and sustainable community-based WS programmes across Australia, incompatibilities across various stakeholders’ perspectives need to be addressed.

Older Adult Representations, Stereotypes, and Interpersonal Competence in Christmas Television

ABSTRACT Recognizing the need to monitor the television depictions of older adults (OAs) we used social cognitive theory to study OA representations, stereotypes, and appearances in the understudied genre of Christmas television, specifically Hallmark Christmas movies (N = 50). We extended social cognitive theory to understand the effect of positive stereotypes on older adults’ appearances by employing interpersonal competence theory and coding OA interactions for positive and negative altercasting, defined as casting of one’s interactant into a valued or disvalued identity. Unlike primetime television analyses, OAs were not underrepresented relative to the U.S. population. OAs appeared in more minor than supporting roles, and participated in Christmas traditions like celebrating with family and affirming Christmas traditions and spirit. Over 60% of OAs portrayed positive stereotypes like Sage, Golden Ager, Perfect Grandparent and John Wayne Conservative. As theorized, net positive altercasting completely mediated the effect of three positive OA stereotypes on the frequency of OA appearances. Implications for studying Christmas television, aging stereotypes, and media portrayals of interpersonal competence are discussed.

Using art and creative practice to provide education about ageism and age stereotypes

ABSTRACT Addressing ageism (prejudice, stereotyping, and discrimination based on age) is paramount to the general health and well-being of all persons. Providing aging education, challenging deep-seated stereotypes about aging, and facilitating intergenerational connection are promising ways to reduce ageism. In the following manuscript, we detail how to promote aging education and community-based discussions using two novel art programs: 1) community-oriented educational programs on menopause; 2) a university course which used creative practice and art as a lens to explore aging and challenge age-based stereotypes. Future research should focus on expanding the use of art and creative practice for individuals in various settings (e.g. academic, community) to challenge negative stereotypes of older adults and facilitate intergenerational connections.

Vulnerability in context; hard numbers, tricky words and grey areas for gerontology

At the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, the Portuguese government identified those aged 70 or more as a risk group, placing a special duty of protection on them to shelter-at-home. This paper asks how Portuguese municipalities, using Facebook posts, communicated the risk to older adults and to what extent ageist stereotypes were found in the language and frames employed. Over 3800 Facebook posts made by Portuguese municipalities concerning older adults and COVID-19 published between March and July 2020 were analyzed. Language counts for age-related words were used in a first round of content analysis followed by a process of thematic analysis. Findings indicate that the language used to address Portuguese older adults could be understood as ageist in terms of homogenizing older people as a fixed group. The communication of risk was often conflated with the vulnerability narrative already observed in the extant literature. However, context- and culture-specific themes of ‘solidarity’, ‘inter-relatedness’, ‘duty of care’ and ‘support for those living in isolation’ were also found. The study highlights the extent to which language, culture and context are intertwined with our understanding of age, aging and ageism. It provides a culturally-specific case study, which challenges both gerontological interpretations of vulnerability and neoliberal frames which focus responsibility on the individual regardless of age. We argue that these alternative frames echo the emerging discourse of mutual aid and solidarity, providing a wider context for addressing vulnerability in a health crisis.

Social semiotic analysis of photographic portrayals of Iranian elders on websites

Considering the popularity of online platforms and their significant force in producing collective discourses, attitudes, and patterns of behaviours, this study critically examined the photographic portrayal of old Iranians on websites during the COVID-19 pandemic. The study focuses on this age group, which has been identified as the most vulnerable to the virus. Photographs of old people during COVID-19 are semiotic resources that enable researchers to excavate portrayals of ageing. Media portrayals of older adults gain resonance in ways they are constructed and societal effects that emerge through their widespread access. With an aim to contributing to the literature on visual social semiotic analysis, this study zoomed in on the portrayals of older Iranians on websites applying Kress and Van Leeuwen's visual grammar. The search for data, collected in the period of March to July 2020, yielded 39 results. The findings revealed that the portrayal of Iranian old people suffers from negative ageing stereotypes like ugliness, decline, and weakness. Notably, the analyzed photographs exhibited a higher degree of ageism towards old women than men.

The Older, the Less Digitally Fluent? The Role of Age Stereotypes and Supervisor Support

Abstract Over the last decades, digital technologies have progressively made their way into the workplace. Therefore, it becomes increasingly important for employees to have digital competencies, which can be measured through digital fluency, including its two sub dimensions, namely digital knowledge and digital self-efficacy. This is particularly the case for older workers, who might be affected by a digital divide that proposes younger and older employees have different prerequisites for digital fluency. Drawing from the stereotype embodiment theory, we argue that age is generally negatively related to self-perceptions of digital fluency and particularly impactful when older employees hold negative age stereotypes against older workers and therefore self-stereotype themselves. Furthermore, we argue that developmental support from the direct supervisor has the potential to either amplify or alleviate this negative relation: While a lack of supervisor support may lead to the activation of internalized negative age stereotypes, strong support by the supervisor could strengthen the employees’ self-perceptions in several ways. Performing multiple regression analyses on survey data collected from 1,007 employees, we find support for our three hypotheses. Negative age stereotypes exacerbate the negative relationship between age and digital fluency, whereas the interplay of high individual stereotypes and low supervisor support is the most negative condition for the relation of age on digital fluency. On the other hand, strong supervisor support with low negative stereotypes counteract existing age differences in digital fluency. Therefore, our findings have important theoretical and practical implications.

Societal impact on older persons’ chronic pain: Roles of age stereotypes, age attribution, and age discrimination

RationaleIn view of the severity and prevalence of chronic pain, combined with the limited success of long-term treatments, there is the need for a more expansive understanding of its etiology. We therefore investigated over time three societal-based potential determinants of chronic pain that were previously unexamined in this connection: negative age stereotypes, age attribution, and age discrimination. MethodsThe cohort consisted of 1373 Americans aged 55 and older, who participated in four waves of the National Health and Resilience in Veterans Study, spanning seven years. ResultsConsistent with the hypotheses, negative age stereotypes as well as age discrimination predicted chronic pain, and age attribution acted as a mediator between the negative age stereotypes and chronic pain. In a subset of participants who were free of chronic pain at baseline, those who had assimilated negative age stereotypes were 32% more likely to develop chronic pain in the next seven years than those who had assimilated positive age stereotypes. ConclusionOur finding that the three societal-based and modifiable predictors contributed to chronic pain refutes the widely held belief that chronic pain experienced in later life is entirely and inevitably a consequence of aging.

Older adults in a Modern World

Editorial Older adults in a Modern WorldBy L.F. Carver, Editor-in-Chief Stereotypes that suggest older adults are resistant to technology may have had some accuracy in the 1980s but are now outdated and inaccurate. Technology has been evolving quickly over the past century, and older adults have been adapting to these changes just as quickly. Telephones went from a single wall mounted phone in the home to cordless handsets and cellphones, changes driven by the buying habits of people who are now older adults. The consumers who enthusiastically embraced home computers, then laptops and finally tablets are now middle aged or older adults.(Geron)technologies are those technologies that support aging adults – but these do not need to be limited to health-related devices. Older adults generally report feeling much younger inside than their chronological age and buy technology that supports them to engage in hobbies and activities that they did in their twenties and thirties. These technologies often mirror those chosen by their younger counterparts.Governments are recognizing the importance of AgeTech with investments in the development of these industries. For example, in late 2022/early 2023 the Canadian government announced a $47 million dollar investment (via the Strategic Innovation Fund) and the American National Institute on Aging (a2 Pilot Awards) unveiled $40 million for AgeTech over five years. Given the inaccuracies of traditional ageist stereotypes it is important to avoid surveillance and communal residential settings (e.g., long term care homes) as the focus for AgeTech, especially given most older adults are uninterested in living these facilities and technology that violates their privacy.Modern older adults are interested in technologies that enable them maintain independence, aging gracefully in place, in their own homes. However, they tend to reject technologies that impinge on privacy – especially those that involve 24/7 surveillance. Ambient assisted living, which generally involves cameras and pressure plates that record, and report, movement and activity are a favourite among caregivers and concerned family but are generally repudiated by older adults.Finally, older adults who refuse certain technologies are not ‘resistant’ to tech, they just don’t want technology to try to fool them or replace reality. If they enjoy travel, they want technology that allows them to continue to travel as long as possible, not virtual reality goggles. Older animal lovers don’t want a robot pet, they want technology to support them to continue to care for their non-human companions as long as possible.The most important thing for policy makers, technology companies and younger adults to remember is that older adults share many of the same consumer interests when it comes to technology as younger adults. In fact, instead of considering older adults as something different or ‘other’ than their younger counterparts, we need to remember that they are the same people as they were when they were younger, they just have more mileage.