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Examining age-related stereotypes - an extract.
Stereotypes of age and ageing
Personal characteristics such as age can be used as a proxy for similarity, leading to assumptions that those who are of a similar age are like each other in other respects too.
Research shows that people have a tendency to see those who are of a similar age to themselves as more alike and are likely to feel more comfortable interacting with members of same age groups (Naegele, De Tavernier & Hess, 2018; Abrams et al, 2011). However, sometimes we develop negative attitudes towards those we see as different to ourselves, a process that is often called ‘othering’. As figure 1 shows, most people see those of different ages as distinct groups.
Difference can also be perceived across multiple personal characteristics; for example, an older man may be viewed and spoken about differently to an older woman, or a heterosexual older person differently to a homosexual older person. The influence of multiple group cha...
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