Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jan 17, 2026
08:13
Using the Race Model Inequality to Quantify Behavioral Multisensory Integration Effects
Published on: May 10, 2019
6.8K
Late-Life Changes in Ethnoracial Self-Identification: Evidence from Social Security Administrative Data.
1Department of Demography, University of California, Berkeley, 2232 Piedmont Ave, Berkeley, CA 94720, USA.
Population Research and Policy Review
|September 18, 2025
Summary
Many older adults change their racial or ethnic identity later in life. Socioeconomic status in early life is linked to later shifts in ethnoracial identification, showing fluidity continues into old age.
Area of Science:
- Sociology
- Gerontology
- Demography
Background:
- Ethnoracial identification is recognized to change across the life course.
- The prevalence and patterns of these shifts among older adults and specific cohorts remain understudied.
Purpose of the Study:
- To quantify the prevalence and direction of later-life ethnoracial identification shifts.
- To examine the association between early-life socioeconomic status and later-life ethnoracial shifts.
- To understand the fluidity of ethnoracial identity in older adults.
Main Methods:
- Utilized administrative data from Social Security applications (1984-2007).
- Analyzed ethnoracial self-identification changes among the "Greatest Generation" (born 1901-1927) after age 57.
- Linked data to the 1940 Census to assess early-life socioeconomic status.
Main Results:
- 2.3% of individuals in the dataset shifted their ethnoracial identification after age 57.
- Distinct patterns of ethnoracial shifts were observed across different subgroups.
- Higher early-life socioeconomic status was significantly associated with a shift from non-White to non-Hispanic White identification.
Conclusions:
- Ethnoracial identification fluidity persists into older adulthood.
- Later-life identity shifts are influenced by early-life socioeconomic position.
- Social position, ethnoracial climate, and societal events shape identity fluidity in later life.
More Related Videos
06:58Highlighting and Reducing the Impact of Negative Aging Stereotypes During Older Adults' Cognitive Testing
Published on: January 24, 2020
7.7K
11:13The Social Dimension of Stress: Experimental Manipulations of Social Support and Social Identity in the Trier Social Stress Test
Published on: November 19, 2015
14.4K
Related Concept Videos
01:29Social Identity
248
Social identity constitutes a significant aspect of an individual’s self-concept, shaped by membership in various social groups, including gender, nationality, ethnicity, sexual orientation, and political affiliation. Individuals associate specific traits with particular social groups, leading to internalization of these traits. For example, musicians are often perceived as creative, while women are frequently associated with nurturing tendencies. Once individuals identify with a...
248
01:27Ethnic Identity within a Larger Culture
224
Adolescents from ethnic minority backgrounds face a multifaceted journey in forming their identities, shaped by the intersections of cultural expectations and personal exploration. For these adolescents, identity formation involves not only typical developmental challenges but also navigating the perceptions and attitudes of the majority culture. As they grow, adolescents in ethnic minority groups often become increasingly aware of stereotypes, social biases, and discrimination, all of which...
224
01:27Sources of Self-Esteem III: Social Comparison
237
Social comparison plays a fundamental role in the evaluation of personal success and self-worth. Rather than assessing our achievements in isolation, we interpret their significance relative to personal goals and critically in comparison to the performance of others. A grade of B in a mathematics exam might elicit pride if one's expectation was a C, yet result in disappointment if an A was anticipated or if peers achieved superior results. These comparative evaluations illustrate how both...
237
02:16Surveys
16.6K
Often, psychologists develop surveys as a means of gathering data. Surveys are lists of questions to be answered by research participants, and can be delivered as paper-and-pencil questionnaires, administered electronically, or conducted verbally. Generally, the survey itself can be completed in a short time, and the ease of administering a survey makes it easy to collect data from a large number of people.
16.6K
03:00Self-Evaluation: Self-Enhancement and Self-Verification
5.7K
Social psychologists have documented that feeling good about ourselves and maintaining positive self-esteem is a powerful motivator of human behavior (Tavris & Aronson, 2008). In the United States, members of the predominant culture typically think very highly of themselves and view themselves as good people who are above average on many desirable traits (Ehrlinger, Gilovich, & Ross, 2005). Often, our behavior, attitudes, and beliefs are affected when we experience a threat to our...
5.7K
02:55Stereotypes, Prejudice, and Discrimination
95.0K
Humans are very diverse and although we share many similarities, we also have many differences. The social groups we belong to help form our identities (Tajfel, 1974). These differences may be difficult for some people to reconcile, which may lead to prejudice toward people who are different. Prejudice is a negative attitude and feeling toward an individual based solely on one’s membership in a particular social group (Allport, 1954; Brown, 2010). Prejudice is common against people who...
95.0K