Threat or Boost? Social Comparison Affects Older People's Performance Differently Depending on Task Domain

Abstract

The research demonstrates that a threatening comparison can result in underperformance by older people both in negatively and positively self-stereotyped task domains. It also demonstrates that social comparison with younger people can enhance older people's performance in a positively stereotyped task domain. The implications for creating circumstances likely to enable older people to achieve their full potential are discussed.

Will to live in older people's medical decisions: immediate and delayed effects of aging stereotypes

“…The positive finding from an intervention perspective is that not only negative but also positive stereotype activation tends to persist over time. This is consistent with other evidence that stereotypes can also be deployed positively to "boost" older people's performances and motivation in a more long-lasting manner (Swift, Abrams, & Marques, 2013).…”

Stereotypes of Aging: Their Effects on the Health of Older Adults

“…Swift et al [61] examined the performance of older adults in a domain where they are stereotyped more favorably than younger people (via crossword puzzles). They found that, compared with the control condition, the enhancing social comparison boosted performance among the older adults [61].…”

“…Although explicitly making people feel favorable compared to younger people in experimental studies has shown short-term improvements in physical [62] and cognitive [61] tasks, respectively, longer-term effects of explicit positive stereotypes in the daily lives of older adults (such as media messages depicting "healthy, active, and happy" older people) and the effects of dominant "successful aging" discourses (found in academic literature and popular press) are less well known. Making upward, rather than downward, social comparisons has multiple likely effects on the health behaviors of older individuals [63].…”

Agisem in the European Region: Finding from the European Social Survey

“…paradox of wellbeing, Swift et al 2013;Whitbourne and Sneed 2002). Research suggests a positive age-identity is one mechanism by which older adults are able to maintain positive self-esteem, sense of self and wellbeing.…”

“…For instance, research from the US, UK and across Europe has continued to suggest that older people are stereotyped as frail, ill, dependent and incompetent (Levy 2009;Marques et al 2014b, Coudin andAlexopoulos 2010), but also wise, experienced and more moral than younger adults (Levy 1996;Swift et al 2013;Abrams et al 2011a). Several studies have explored age-related stereotypes across age and cultural groups.…”