The status of age: preliminary results

This study tested the hypothesis that there is an inverted U curve of status or prestige across the lifespan in Western culture. Although several theorists have suggested that young and old persons are accorded less status than the middle-aged, almost no empirical evidence exists on this subject. The factorial survey method was used to measure perceptions of the status of ages 5 to 100 for men and women. A set of 28 age by sex profiles were rated by 334 students. Ratings were made on a 7-point category scale. The data fit the theoretical predictions extremely well, with one notable exception. Very high ratings were given to 100-year-old people by almost half of the respondents. This anomaly was probably due to the rarity of centenarians.