Commentaries on "mind matters: Cognitive and physical effects of aging self-stereotypes" and author's reply: When is an age stereotype an aging self-stereotype? A commentary

Abstract

The research program presented in this article illustrates the importance of social psychological research on how age stereotypes affect the behaviors of older persons. To date this program has been largely descriptive, establishing the nature and range of self-stereotyping behaviors among older individuals. The directions for future research, however, promise insights into the psychological processes underlying the documented effects of aging self-stereotypes. Grounding that research in a theory of self-stereotyping will advance this research program toward its admirable goal of "ameliorating the harmful effects of negative self-stereotypes of aging" (Levy, 2003).