The stereotype-matching effect: Greater influence on functioning when age stereotypes correspond to outcomes.
Top Cited Papers
- 1 March 2009
- journal article
- Published by American Psychological Association (APA) in Psychology and Aging
- Vol. 24 (1) , 230-233
- https://doi.org/10.1037/a0014563
Abstract
Older individuals assimilate, and are targeted by, contradictory positive and negative age stereotypes. It was unknown whether the influence of stereotype valence is stronger when the stereotype content corresponds to the outcome domain. We randomly assigned older individuals to either positive-cognitive, negative-cognitive, positive-physical, or negative-physical subliminal-age-stereotype groups and assessed cognitive and physical outcomes. As predicted, when the age stereotypes corresponded to the outcome domains, their valence had a significantly greater impact on cognitive and physical performance. This suggests that if a match occurs, it is more likely to generate expectations that become self-fulfilling prophecies.Keywords
Funding Information
- Patrick and Catherine Weldon Donaghue Medical Research Foundation
- National Institutes of Health (R01HL089314; K01AG001051)
- National Institute on Aging (T32AG00153)
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