Elderly persons' interactions might be colored by age-related stereotypes. This would occur if observers' attributions were affected by beliefs about the elderly as a group. This research investigated whether such a link between stereotypes and attributions exists during a dyadic interaction. It also examined the hypothesis that stereotypes operate as baselines against which subsequent evaluations could be made. / Undergraduate students served as subjects. They were presented with two different versions of transcripts: a standard version and one in which the speaker forgot common words and told an anecdote of a childhood experience. Half the subjects were told that the speaker was 30, the remainder that he was 65. After reading the transcript, subjects responded to structured questions about the speaker and his behavior during the interview. / It has been proposed that stereotypes would be reflected in the attributions. Results did not support this hypothesis. Verbal behavior, as given in the transcript, affected ratings of the likelihood that the speaker had chronic memory problems, was busy and absent-minded, and had a past orientation. Age did not affect these attributions. / Subjects' impressions of the speaker's cognitive functioning were affected by his speaking style. Speakers with memory difficulties were thought to have poorer cognitive functioning. Age and speech style interacted to affect ratings of activity, evaluation, and instrumentality. In all these areas, younger speakers with memory problems were viewed less favorably than those without. The opposite pattern was found for older speakers. Speech style had a more pronounced effect on the ratings of younger speakers. / Results suggest that clearly specified behavior may be more important than stereotypes in affecting an observer's explanation of an event. Age does seem to influence an observer's subjective impression, however. The strength of the expectancy that an individual will behave in a given way may also vary with age and may be responsive to stereotypes. / In everyday life, stereotypes may affect decisions about the elderly as a group. On an individual level, however, the elderly seem capable of overcoming stereotypic expectancies. They should thus be encouraged by the results of active and assertive involvement with others. / Source: Dissertation Abstracts International, Volume: 42-06, Section: B, page: 2604. / Thesis (Ph.D.)--The Florida State University, 1981.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:fsu.edu/oai:fsu.digital.flvc.org:fsu_74549 |
| Contributors | RUSIN, MICHELE JEAN., Florida State University |
| Source Sets | Florida State University |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | Text |
| Format | 134 p. |
| Rights | On campus use only. |
| Relation | Dissertation Abstracts International |
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