ASSIGNMENT
Table 8.3 on page 276 of your textbook contains a list of personality traits, along with the percentage of people of different age groups who believe these traits to apply to older adults.
This is a little complicated, but here’s how it works: Hummert and colleagues (1994) interviewed young, middle-aged, and older adults and asked each age group about specific traits and whether or not they believed these traits were representative of older adults.
The table shows the top 20 traits in terms of how typical each age group thought they were of older adults (not whether they were positive or negative). An important aspect of this is that the table shows beliefs that young, middle-aged, and older adults all have of older adults, not beliefs that each age group has about itself.
In your initial post, summarize your feelings about Table 8.3. When you look at this list and the associations of these traits, what stands out to you?
Are there any traits that you’re surprised to see associated (or not associated) with older adults? Where do you think these associations come from?
According to this table, is the overall picture positive or negative for older adults?
In your comments on your group members’ posts, consider the issue of ageism and how that might apply to the associations shown in the table. What can we do to fight stereotypes and ageism?
