title: A review and meta-analysis of age-based stereotype threat: negative stereotypes, not facts, do the damage.
abstract: Stereotype threat effects arise when an individual feels at risk of confirming a negative stereotype about their group and consequently underperforms on stereotype relevant tasks (Steele, 2010). Among older people, underperformance across cognitive and physical tasks is hypothesized to result from age-based stereotype threat (ABST) because of negative age-stereotypes regarding older adults' competence. The present review and meta-analyses examine 22 published and 10 unpublished articles, including 82 effect sizes (N = 3882) investigating ABST on older people's (Mage = 69.5) performance. The analysis revealed a significant small-to-medium effect of ABST (d = .28) and important moderators of the effect size. Specifically, older adults are more vulnerable to ABST when (a) stereotype-based rather than fact-based manipulations are used (d = .52); (b) when performance is tested using cognitive measures (d = .36); and (c) occurs reliably when the dependent variable is measured proximally to the manipulation. The review raises important theoretical and methodological issues, and areas for future research.
authors.affiliation: Centre for the Study of Group Processes, University of Kent.
authors.forename: Ruth A
authors.initials: RA
authors.lastname: Lamont
authors.affiliation: Centre for the Study of Group Processes, University of Kent.
authors.forename: Hannah J
authors.initials: HJ
authors.lastname: Swift
authors.affiliation: Centre for the Study of Group Processes, University of Kent.
authors.forename: Dominic
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Abrams
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000375:Aging / Q000523:psychology*; D003071:Cognition / Q000502:physiology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D013240:Stereotyping