The study led by Professor Julie Henry from UQ’s School of Psychology looked at why self-directed ageism is common.
“Older people are regularly exposed to ageing, such as negative assumptions about their worth, ability or level of understanding, as well as old age jokes,” Professor Henry said.
“At the same time, as we age, we rely more on prior knowledge and cues from our environment to guide us in how we feel, think and behave.
“In a world that devalues aging, these cognitive changes make it more difficult for older people to challenge internalized discriminatory beliefs, known as self-directed aging.”
Self-directed ageism can present as self-doubt (“I’m too old to learn this new technology” or “I’m too old to make new friends”) and negative perceptions of aging itself, such as “I’m much worse at this.” than it used to be.
Self-directed ageism can also present itself as a concern about being judged according to age-based stereotypes, such as “If I forget to do this, they’ll think it’s because I’m old.”
Professor Henry said that when ageism becomes internalized and self-directed, it has been linked to a shorter lifespan, poorer physical and mental health, slower recovery from disability and cognitive decline.
“It can also be damaging when older adults allow their negative beliefs about aging to undermine their confidence to take on new or challenging experiences and opportunities,” Professor Henry said.
“Interventions, such as creating more opportunities for positive social interactions between younger and older people, are needed to prevent negative views of aging from developing.
“Our research also suggests that older adults will directly benefit from a reduction in signs of age discrimination in our broader social environment.
“If fewer signs of age discrimination attract the attention of older people, the risk of self-directed age discrimination should be reduced.”
The article is published in Trends in Cognitive Sciences.
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