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Age Stereotyping and Views of Aging, Theories of

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Encyclopedia of Geropsychology

Synonyms

Age stereotypes; Ageism; Explicit stereotypes; Implicit stereotypes; Stereotype threat; Working memory

Definition

Stereotypes are beliefs regarding the characteristics of people within the same demographic, cultural, or social group. These beliefs influence social interactions with and perceptions of others based on their membership in a stereotyped group. Such generalizations of a group of people can have negative consequences.

The Importance of Stereotypes

Stereotypes are cognitive representations – or schemata – of beliefs regarding the characteristics of a group of people that are typically shared by individuals within a culture or social group. These representations play an important role in social interactions by influencing our perceptions of others based upon their membership in stereotyped groups, thereby allowing us to draw inferences about their behavior. Of course, the accuracy of such inferences is dependent upon the accuracy of the stereotype and its appropriate...

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Greenwald & Associates, 4201 Connecticut Ave, NW, Suite 620, Washington, DC, 20008, USA

    Lauren E. Popham

  2. Department of Psychology, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC, 27695-7650, USA

    Thomas M. Hess

Authors
  1. Lauren E. Popham
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  2. Thomas M. Hess
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Lauren E. Popham .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia

    Nancy A. Pachana

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Popham, L.E., Hess, T.M. (2016). Age Stereotyping and Views of Aging, Theories of. In: Pachana, N. (eds) Encyclopedia of Geropsychology. Springer, Singapore. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-287-080-3_127-2

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-287-080-3_127-2

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Chapter history

  1. Latest

    Age Stereotyping and Views of Aging, Theories of
    Published:
    28 October 2016

    DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-287-080-3_127-2

  2. Original

    Theories of Age Stereotyping and Views of Aging
    Published:
    23 July 2015

    DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-287-080-3_127-1

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