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Published on: May 10, 2019
Age, race, and implicit prejudice: using process dissociation to separate the underlying components
Brandon D Stewart1, William von Hippel, Gabriel A Radvansky
1School of Psychology, University of Queensland, St. Lucia, QLD, Australia. b.stewart@psy.uq.edu.au
Psychological Science
|January 30, 2009
Summary
Older adults show more implicit racial prejudice due to reduced control over automatic associations, not stronger ones. This age-related decline in control is linked to impaired inhibitory abilities.
Area of Science:
- Psychology
- Social Psychology
- Cognitive Psychology
Background:
- Older adults often exhibit higher levels of prejudice compared to younger adults.
- The underlying reasons for this age-related increase in prejudice remain unclear.
- Previous research suggests potential differences in automatic associations and controlled processing.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the reasons behind greater implicit racial prejudice in older adults compared to younger adults.
- To examine the roles of automatic prejudicial associations and controlled processing in age differences in prejudice.
- To explore the relationship between inhibitory ability and age-related changes in prejudice control.
Main Methods:
- Utilized a community-based sample to assess racial prejudice using the race Implicit Association Test (IAT).
- Employed process-dissociation procedures to differentiate between automatic and controlled components of prejudice.
- Measured inhibitory ability to assess its role as a mediator in age-related differences.
Main Results:
- Older White adults displayed higher implicit racial prejudice than younger White adults on the race IAT.
- The difference in implicit prejudice was attributed to older adults having less control over automatic prejudicial associations, not stronger automatic associations.
- Age-related deficits in inhibitory ability mediated the observed age differences in prejudice control.
- White participants exhibited stronger automatic prejudicial associations than Black participants.
Conclusions:
- Reduced control over automatic prejudicial associations, linked to impaired inhibitory function, underlies greater implicit prejudice in older adults.
- Interventions aimed at enhancing control and inhibitory abilities may be crucial for mitigating age-related increases in prejudice.
- Understanding these mechanisms is vital for addressing societal biases and promoting intergroup harmony.
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