Friday, October 02, 2009

Stereotypes loom larger as our brains age

There are two new fascinating studies which suggest that as our brains age we have difficulty suppressing stereotypes.

Tom Jacobs writes:
There are a lot of clichés thrown around about the elderly, but one that seems to be true — or at least is backed up by research — is the belief they tend to be more prejudiced than younger people. This phenomenon — noted in The New York Times as early as 1941 — is widely assumed to be the result of socialization. After all, today's senior citizens grew up in an era when racism was widespread and gays stayed in the closet. Of course they aren't as open-minded as their children and grandchildren. READ MORE