Final Exam Flashcards
Stereotypes
special type of social knowledge structure or social belief. They represent socially shared beliefs about characteristics and behaviors of a particular social group.
Age-based double standard
when individual attributes an older person’s failure as more than a failure observed in a young adult.
Implicit stereotyping
strong stereotypes learned over time, automatic and unconscious.
Self-perception of aging
individual’s perceptions of their own age and aging.
Labeling theory
when we confront an age-related stereotype, older adults are more likely to integrate it into their self-perception.
Resilience theory
confronting a negative stereotype results in a rejection of that view in favor of a more positive self-perception.
Cohort differences
different generations socialize differently from each other.
Impression formation
the way we form and revise first impressions about others.
Social knowledge
when we are faced with new situations, we draw on our previous experiences stored in memory.
Personal control
the degree one believes one’s performance in a situation depends on something that one personally does.
Assimilative activities
activities that prevent or alleviate losses in domains that are personally relevant for self-esteem and identity.
Accommodations
people readjust their goals and aspirations as a way to lessen or neutralize the effects of negative self-evaluations in key domains.
Immunizing mechanism
alter the effects of self-discrepant evidence (alternative explanations or denial).
Stability and change in personality traits
trait theories state that traits are hereditary and will not change over time (stability). Personal concerns or contextual perspectives says that personality is shaped by personal choice and by context (change).
Dispositional traits
aspects of personality consistent across different contexts and can be compared. The level of personality that most people think of first.
Personal concerns
things important to people, their goals, and their major concerns in life. Usually described in motivational, developmental, or strategic terms.
Life narrative
aspects of personality pulling everything together, those integrative aspects that give a person an identity or sense of self.
The five-factor model of personality
five independent dimensions of personality: neuroticism, extraversion, openness to experience, agreeableness, and conscientiousness.
Costa and McCrae findings on stability and further research
over a 12 year period, 10 personality traits measured by the GZTS (Guilford-Zimmerman Temperament Survey) remained stable. Individuals change little in personality trait over long periods of time (30 years). Very old persons are more suspicious and sensitive.
Other studies find increasing evidence for personality changes.
Extraversion and openness decrease.
Agreeableness increase.
Conscientiousness peaks in middle age.
Neuroticism disappear or less apparent in later life.
Personality adjustment
developmental changes in terms of their adaptive value and functionality, such as functioning effectively within society, and how personality contributes to everyday life running smoothly (Ursula Staudinger)
Personality growth
ideal end states such as increased self-transcendence, wisdom, and integrity (Ursula Staudinger).
Jung’s theory of ego development
aspects of personality must be balance with each other. 2 dimensions:
Introversion-extraversion: young adults are more extraverted because of the need to find a mate. Older people’s feelings focus inward to explore about aging and mortality.
Masculinity-femininity: young aunt act in accordance with gender-role stereotypes appropriate to their culture. Older people let out the depressed parts of their personality.
Midlife crisis
middle-age adults experience a personal crisis that results in major changes in how they view themselves.
Midlife correction
Abigail Stewart, reevaluating one’s roles and dreams and making the necessary corrections.
