How Older Adults Handle Control and Stereotypes

Ever wonder how older adults deal with feeling out of control? Two experiments looked into this. They found that when older adults feel like they have less control, they tend to crave more structure in their lives. This craving for structure can lead them to adopt negative stereotypes about aging.

The First Experiment

Researchers made participants feel like they had less control. This made them want more structure and also increased their negative views about aging. The need for structure acted like a middleman, connecting the lack of control to these negative views.

The Second Experiment

The second experiment built on this. After making participants feel out of control, researchers gave them a task that fulfilled their need for structure. This task helped reduce the negative views about aging. So, it's not just about feeling in control. It's also about finding ways to satisfy the need for structure.

The Takeaway

This shows that when older adults feel like they're losing control, giving them ways to create structure can help. It's a simple but powerful way to combat negative stereotypes about aging.