This study was designed to test the hypothesis that exposure to negative
stereotypes about older adults impairs older adults’ self-control.
Participants (ages 65-77) were asked to read fictional news articles
describing the cognitive effects of aging as either positive or negative.
Self-control was measured using a temporal discounting task where
participants made decisions about whether to receive a small amount of
money immediately or a larger sum at a later date. Older adults who read
fictional news articles describing the negative cognitive effects of aging
chose the delayed reward less frequently than older adults who read
fictional articles describing the positive cognitive effects of aging. This
suggests that age-related stigma temporarily impairs self-control.