Age stereotype and discrimination is a common but underrepresented issues in society that may affect people’s self-image and performance. For example, older people may be viewed as wise but less energetic, while younger groups may be perceived as active but irresponsible (Bowen et al., 2019). Indeed, stigmatization can be internalized and projected to the self and others (Kornadt et al., 2017). However, there is not enough research about the influence of ageism. Therefore, this paper investigates how different age groups are described based on general knowledge and how negative stereotypes can affect individuals at a specific stage of life.
The survey was conducted with ten adults aged 25-50 via phone calls. They were asked to tell the first three words that came to their minds when asked about one of the four groups of a particular age: children, teenagers, middle-aged adults, and the elderly. Each word was assessed for positive (P), negative (N), or neutral (O) connotation. The results of the survey were grouped according to the corresponding age.
Group 1 (Children)
Cute – P, friendly – P, kind – P, careless – O, dependent – O, playground – P, toys – P, kindergarten – P, school – P, fairytales – P, cartoons – P, feeding – O, nutrition – O, nursing – P, mischievous – N, happiness – P, oxytocin – P, serotonin – P, energetic – P, smart – P, learning – P, affectionate – P, gentle – P, smiling – P, crying – N, infections – N, autism – N, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder – N, behavior – O, neglect – N.
Group 2 (Teenagers)
Transformation – O, irresponsible – N, impulsive – N, rebellious – N, emotional – N, drama – N, maturation – O, students – P, school – P, college – P, addiction – N, smoking – N, video games – N, illicit drugs – N, sexually transmitted diseases – N, puberty – O, suicide – N, depression – N, immature – N, attention – O, socialization – P, experimentation – O, fitness – P, fashion – P, skateboarding – O, risk – N, egocentric – N, achievements – P, entertainment – O, selfish – N.
Group 3 (Middle-aged adults)
Flexible – P, active – P, strong – P, caregiver – P, independent – P, education – P, employment – P, knowledgeable – P, professional – P, busyness – O, therapy sessions – O, childbirth – P, marriage – P, divorce – N, salary – P, loan – N, responsibility – O, tax-payer – O, liability – O, worker – O, insurance – O, mature – P, parents – O, a couple – O, problems – N, arrogant – N, finances – O, mentorship – O, manhood – O, womanhood – O.
Group 4 (Senior citizens)
Wisdom – P, dignity – P, retirement – O, pension – O, grandparent – P, dementia – N, respect – P, frail – N, fracture – N, osteoporosis – N, hypertension – N, cataract – N, disorder – N, medication – O, insomnia – N, knitting – P, gardening – P, villager – O, loneliness – N, institutionalization – N, nursery – N, dependent – N, handicapped – N, veteran – P, mentor – P, impairment – N, kindness – P, longevity – P, antiquity – O, Medicare – O.
Age-associated stereotypes are present worldwide, affecting various aspects of people’s lives. The survey results showed a specific pattern of stereotypes that exist about the four age groups assessed. For example, children were mainly associated with positive terms such as “kind,” “friendly,” “gentle,” “smiling,” and “affectionate.” According to the survey results, 63.3% of the terms associated with children were positive. Nevertheless, some interviewees’ responses had negative connotations: “crying,” “mischievous,” and “attention deficit hyperactivity disorder” – which comprised 20%. Teenagers were associated with negative terms, being 53.3% of all 30 words for this group. These terms included words like “selfish,” “egocentric,” “rebellious,” “impulsive,” and “risk.” The third group, middle-aged adults, was described mostly using positive (43.3%) or neutral (43.3%) terms. Interestingly, the respondents, who were primarily middle-aged adults, seemed to self-identify positive or neutral descriptive words: “flexible,” “independent,” “mature,” “knowledgeable,” and “active.” The fourth group, senior citizens, was associated with positive terms only in 33.3% of cases, negative words comprised 46.7%, and 20% of descriptions were neutral. Negative terms were primarily related to the stereotype about a higher rate of chronic diseases and mental illnesses among the elderly population.
The results of the survey demonstrate how stereotypes can influence people’s perceptions about a specific age group. For example, descriptive words became more negative, moving from children to teenagers and the senior population, but they changed to more positive when describing middle-aged adults. Stereotypes originated from the role of each group in society, the behavior of an average representative of a specific age group, and common expectations (Kornadt et al., 2017). However, research shows that people of a particular age usually have a positive self-image if they are unaware of stigmatization (Bowen et al., 2019). However, when older adults are discriminated against at the workplace, their performance drops (Weber et al., 2019). Moreover, ageism was found to impair the mental and physical health of older adults, working among young and middle-aged adults (Weber et al., 2019). For example, Germany’s retirement age is 65, and people in their fifties are already viewed as old by younger employees, creating a negative self-image of valuable workers (Kornadt et al., 2017). Although some age characteristics, determined by natural developmental processes, are inevitable, ageism should be minimized to prevent adverse influences on people’s well-being.
To sum up, ageism is a critical issue in modern society that requires thorough investigation. The survey results showed that children and middle-aged adults elicited positive or neutral associations in respondents, while adolescents and older people were described with more negative terms. Negative stereotyping can create obstacles for different age groups at work and may harm their mental health; therefore, society should strive to diminish stereotypes about various age groups.
References
Bowen, C. E., Spuling, S. M., Kornadt, A. E., & Wiest, M. (2019). Young people feel wise and older people feel energetic: Comparing age stereotypes and self-evaluation across adulthood. European Journal of Ageing, 17, 435-444.
Kornadt, A. E., Voss, P., & Rothermund, K. (2017). Age stereotypes and self-views revisited: Patterns of internalization and projection processes across the life span. Journals of Gerontology Series B: Psychological Sciences and Social Sciences, 72(4), 582-592.
Weber, J., Angerer, P., & Müller, A. (2019). Individual consequences of age stereotypes on older workers. Zeitschrift für Gerontologie und Geriatrie, 52, 188-205.