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On the Inevitability of Aging: Essentialist Beliefs Moderate the Impact of Negative Age Stereotypes on Older Adults’ Memory Performance and Physiological Reactivity

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  • David Weiss

Abstract

Objectives The goal of this research was to investigate how individual differences in essentialist beliefs about aging affect how older adults’ respond to negative age stereotypes. Essentialist beliefs about aging (EBA) define the process of aging as fixed and inevitable rather than malleable and modifiable.MethodTwo experiments including older adults tested the hypothesis that EBA moderate the effect of negative age stereotypes on older adults’ memory performance and physiological reactivity.ResultsIn line with predictions, results of Experiment 1 (N = 79, 61–87 years) showed that for older adults with strong EBA, the activation of negative age stereotypes (vs neutral information) led to stereotype assimilation entailing a poorer memory performance. In contrast, for older adults with non-EBA, the activation of negative age stereotypes led to stereotype reactance entailing a better memory performance. Experiment 2 (N = 41; 65–92 years) replicated this pattern and also showed that older adults who endorsed rather than rejected EBA exhibited increased systolic blood pressure reactivity when negative age stereotypes were activated.DiscussionThe discussion focuses on pathways through which age stereotypes impact cognitive performance and health in later adulthood, as well as ways to stimulate positive plasticity by changing EBA.

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  • David Weiss, 2018. "On the Inevitability of Aging: Essentialist Beliefs Moderate the Impact of Negative Age Stereotypes on Older Adults’ Memory Performance and Physiological Reactivity," The Journals of Gerontology: Series B, The Gerontological Society of America, vol. 73(6), pages 925-933.
    • Handle: RePEc:oup:geronb:v:73:y:2018:i:6:p:925-933.
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    File URL: http://hdl.handle.net/10.1093/geronb/gbw087
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Corinne Auman & Hayden B. Bosworth & Thomas M. Hess, 2005. "Effect of Health-Related Stereotypes on Physiological Responses of Hypertensive Middle-Aged and Older Men," The Journals of Gerontology: Series B, The Gerontological Society of America, vol. 60(1), pages 3-10.
    2. Bert N. Uchino & Wendy Birmingham & Cynthia A. Berg, 2010. "Are Older Adults Less or More Physiologically Reactive? A Meta-Analysis of Age-Related Differences in Cardiovascular Reactivity to Laboratory Tasks," The Journals of Gerontology: Series B, The Gerontological Society of America, vol. 65(2), pages 154-162.
    3. Thomas M. Hess & Corinne Auman & Stanley J. Colcombe & Tamara A. Rahhal, 2003. "The Impact of Stereotype Threat on Age Differences in Memory Performance," The Journals of Gerontology: Series B, The Gerontological Society of America, vol. 58(1), pages 3-11.
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    1. Verena Klusmann & Nanna Notthoff & Ann-Kristin Beyer & Anne Blawert & Martina Gabrian, 2020. "The assessment of views on ageing: a review of self-report measures and innovative extensions," European Journal of Ageing, Springer, vol. 17(4), pages 403-433, December.

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