title: Threat or boost? Social comparison affects older people's performance differently depending on task domain.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  In this research, we investigate whether social comparison with younger people can result in either a stereotype-based threat or boost in older people's performance.
  
  
  METHODS
  Study 1 used nationally representative data to establish domains of performance in which older people are either stereotypically disadvantaged or advantaged relative to younger people. Study 2 was an experiment to test how a potentially threatening versus control versus enhancing comparison with younger people would affect performance in negatively and positively stereotyped task domains.
  
  
  RESULTS
  As predicted, compared with the control condition, stereotype threat caused performance decrements in both task domains. This effect was partially mediated by anxiety. Moreover, the enhancing social comparison boosted performance, but only on a crossword task, a task on which older people's abilities are favorably stereotyped.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  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.
authors.affiliation: School of Psychology, Centre for Study of Group Processes, University of Kent, Canterbury, UK.
authors.forename: Hannah J
authors.initials: HJ
authors.lastname: Swift
authors.forename: Dominic
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Abrams
authors.forename: Sibila
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Marques
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000375:Aging / Q000523:psychology*; D001007:Anxiety / Q000523:psychology*; D003071:Cognition / Q000502:physiology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007398:Interpersonal Relations; D007406:Interview, Psychological; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009483:Neuropsychological Tests; D012933:Social Identification; D013240:Stereotyping; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D055815:Young Adult