The status of age: preliminary results.
This study tested the hypothesis that there is an inverted U curve of status or prestige across the lifespan in Western culture. Although several theorists have suggested that young and old persons are accorded less status than the middle-aged, almost no empirical evidence exists on this subject. The factorial survey method was used to measure perceptions of the status of ages 5 to 100 for men and women. A set of 28 age by sex profiles were rated by 334 students. Ratings were made on a 7-point category scale. The data fit the theoretical predictions extremely well, with one notable exception. Very high ratings were given to 100-year-old people by almost half of the respondents. This anomaly was probably due to the rarity of centenarians.
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000375:Aging; D001290:Attitude; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D008960:Models, Psychological; D009790:Occupations; D012737:Sex Factors; D012922:Social Change; D012938:Social Perception; D013240:Stereotyping