The cognitive tenacity of self-directed ageism.

Area of Science:

• Psychology
• Gerontology
• Sociology

Background:

• Ageism involves prejudice or discrimination based on age.
• Ageism against older adults is socially condoned and can become self-directed.
• Self-directed ageism carries significant personal costs.

Purpose of the Study:

• To explore the reasons why ageism becomes self-directed in late adulthood.
• To present a cognitive model explaining the development of self-directed ageism.
• To identify potential interventions for reducing vulnerability to self-directed ageism.

Main Methods:

• Development of a cognitive model.
• Analysis of developmental shifts in mentation.
• Consideration of the social environment's influence.

Main Results:

• Negative ageist beliefs become more accessible and harder to eliminate due to cognitive changes.
• These cognitive effects are influenced by the social environment.
• Societal conceptions of age and aging play a crucial role.

Conclusions:

• Cognitive shifts in late adulthood contribute to the internalization of ageist beliefs.
• Systemic changes in societal views on aging are necessary to combat self-directed ageism.
• Reducing societal ageism can mitigate its personal costs for older adults.