Skip to main content Accessibility help

We use cookies to distinguish you from other users and to provide you with a better experience on our websites. Close this message to accept cookies or find out how to manage your cookie settings.

Close cookie message
×
Hostname: page-component-586b7cd67f-2plfb Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-11-22T09:44:02.888Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false

Chapter 6 - Perceived Age, Stereotyping, and Emotion in Intergenerational Communication

from Part II - Aging and Aging Stereotypes

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  07 December 2023

By
Mary Lee Hummert
Edited by
Ursula Hess ,
Reginald B. Adams, Jr.  and
Robert E. Kleck
Ursula Hess
Affiliation:
Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin
Reginald B. Adams, Jr.
Affiliation:
Pennsylvania State University
Robert E. Kleck
Affiliation:
Dartmouth College, New Hampshire
Get access

Summary

Intergenerational communication occurs in relationships that range from the intimate and long term, such as parent and child, to the superficial and fleeting, such as clerk and customer. This chapter examines the critical role of perceived age and stereotyping on the communication within those relationships and the emotional experiences of the younger and older individuals involved. Drawing on models of the intergenerational communication process and age stereotype research, the chapter considers: (1) the ways that intergroup processes, age cues, and negative age stereotypes may contribute to communication with harmful consequences for older individuals; (2) the alternative potential of positive age stereotypes and their interactional cues to foster mutually beneficial intergenerational communication and emotional experiences for older and younger people; and (3) strategies to counter negative stereotyping of those in other age groups and build positive, emotionally satisfying intergenerational relationships.

Keywords

Intergenerational CommunicationAge StereotypingCommunication Process and Age StereotypingMultidimensional Age StereotypesAge Stereotype Cues
Type
Chapter
Information
Emotion Communication by the Aging Face and Body
A Multidisciplinary View
 , pp. 140 - 168
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
Print publication year: 2023

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

Aznar-Casanova, J., Torro-Alves, N., & Fukusima, S. (2010). How much older do you get when a wrinkle appears on your face? Modifying age estimates by number of wrinkles. Aging, Neuropsychology, and Cognition, 17, 406–421.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Baltes, M. M., & Wahl, H. W. (1996). Patterns of communication in old age: The dependence-support and independence-ignore script. Health Communication, 8, 217–231.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Barrett, A. E., & Montepare, J. M. (2015). “It’s about time”: Applying life span and life course perspectives to the study of subjective age. In Diehl, M. & Wahl, H-W (eds.), The Annual Review of Gerontology and Geriatrics (Vol. 35) (pp. 1–28). New York: Springer. http://10.1891/0198-8794.35.1Google Scholar
Bonnesen, J. L., & Hummert, M. L. (2002). Painful self-disclosures of older adults in relation to aging stereotypes and perceived motivations. Journal of Language and Social Psychology, 21, 275–301.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Brewer, M. B., Dull, V., & Lui, L. (1981). Perceptions of the elderly: Stereotypes as prototypes. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 41, 656–670.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Brewer, M. B., & Lui, L. (1984). Categorization of the elderly by the elderly. Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin, 10, 585–595.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Brewer, M. B., & Lui, L. (1989). The primacy of age and sex in the structure of person categories. Social Cognition, 7, 262–274.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Caporael, L. R. (1981). The paralanguage of caregiving: Baby talk to the institutionalized aged. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology 40, 876–884.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Caporael, L. R., Lukaszewski, M. P., & Culbertson, G. H. (1983). Secondary baby talk: Judgments by institutionalized elderly and their caregivers. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 22, 746–754.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Chen, C-Y, Joyce, N., Harwood, J., & Xiang, J. (2017). Stereotype reduction through humor and accommodation during imagined communication with older adults. Communication Monographs, 84, 94–109, http://10.1080/03637751.2016.1149737CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Coupland, N., Coupland, J., Giles, H. & Henwood, K. (1991). Formulating age: Dimensions of age identity in elderly talk. Discourse Processes, 14, 87–106.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Coupland, N., Coupland, J., Giles, H., Henwood, K., & Wiemann, J. (1988). Elderly self-disclosure: Interactional and intergroup issues. Language and Communication, 8, 109–131.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Coupland, N., Henwood, K., Coupland, J., & Giles, H. (1990). Accommodating troubles-talk: The management of elderly self-disclosure. In McGregor, G. (ed.), Reception and response (pp. 112–144). London: Croom Helm.Google Scholar
Ebner, N. C. (2008). Age of face matters: Age-group differences in ratings of young and old faces. Behavior Research Methods, 40, 130–136.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Edwards, H., & Noller, P. (1998). Factors influencing caregiver-carereceiver communication and its impact on the well-being of older carereceivers. Health Communication, 10, 317–341.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Ekman, P., & Friesen, W. V. (1971). Constants across cultures in the face and emotion. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 17, 124–129.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Fowler, C., Fisher, C. L., & Pitts, M. J. (2013). Older adults’ evaluations of middle-aged children’s attempts to initiate discussion of care needs. Health Communication, 29, 717–727.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Fowler, C., Gasiorek, J., & Giles, H. (2015). The role of communication in aging well: Introducing the Communicative Ecology Model of successful aging. Human Communication Research, 82, 431–457.Google Scholar
Fowler, C., & Soliz, J. (2010). Responses of young adult grandchildren to grandparents’ painful selfdisclosures. Journal of Language and Social Psychology, 29, 75–100.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Garstka, T. A., Schmitt, M., Branscombe, N. R., & Hummert, M. L. (2004). How young and older adults differ in their responses to perceived age discrimination. Psychology and Aging, 19, 326–335.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Gasiorek, J., & Fowler, C. (2020). Effects of “environmental chatter” about age and aging on middle-aged and older adults’ communication and perceptions of aging efficacy. Western Journal of Communication, 84, 98–122.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Gasiorek, J., Fowler, C., & Giles, H. (2015). What does successful aging sound like? Profiling communication about aging. Human Communication Research, 41, 577–602.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Gasiorek, J., Giles, H., & Soliz, J. (2015). Accommodating new vistas. Language & Communication, 41, 1–5.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Giles, H., Coupland, N., & Coupland, J. (1991). Accommodation theory: Communication, context, and consequence. In Giles, H., Coupland, J., & Coupland, N. (eds.), Contexts of accommodation: Developments in applied linguistics (pp. 1–68). Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Giles, H., Fox, S., Harwood, J., & Williams, A. (1994). Talking age and aging talk: Communication through the life span. In Hummert, M. L., Nussbaum, J. F., & Wiemann, J. M. (eds.), Interpersonal communication in older adulthood: Interdisciplinary theory and research (pp. 130–161). Newbury Park, CA: Sage.Google Scholar
Giles, H., & Gasiorek, J. (2011). Intergenerational communication practices. In Schaie, K. W. & Willis, S. L., Handbook of the psychology of aging (7th ed., pp. 233–248). London: Academic Press.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Giles, H., Henwood, K., Coupland, N., Harriman, J., & Coupland, J. (1992). Language attitudes and cognitive mediation. Human Communication Research, 18, 500–527.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Giles, H., & Powesland, P. F. (1975). Speech style and social evaluation. London: Academic Press.Google Scholar
Giles, H., Taylor, D. M., & Bourhis, R. Y. (1973). Towards a theory of interpersonal accommodation through speech: Some Canadian data. Language in Society, 2, 177–192.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Giles, H., & Williams, A. (1994). Patronizing the young: Forms and evaluations. International Journal of Aging & Human Development, 39, 33–53.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Gold, D. P., Arbuckle, T. Y., & Andres, D. (1994). Verbosity in older adults. In Hummert, M. L., Wiemann, J. M., & Nussbaum, J. F. (eds.), Interpersonal communication in older adulthood: Interdisciplinary theory and research (pp. 107–129). Newbury Park, CA: Sage.Google Scholar
Hamilton, D. L., & Trolier, T. K. (1986). Stereotypes and stereotyping: An overview of the cognitive approach. In Dovidio, J. F. & Gaertner, S. L. (eds.), Prejudice, discrimination and racism (pp. 127–163). Orlando, FL: Academic Press.Google Scholar
Harnsberger, J. D., Shrivastav, R., Brown, W. S., Rothman, H., & Hollien, H. (2008). Speaking rate and fundamental frequency as speech cues to perceived age. Journal of Voice, 22, 58–69.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Harwood, J. (2000). Communicative predictors of solidarity in the grandparent–grandchild relationship. Journal of Social and Personal Relationships, 17, 743–766.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Harwood, J., Giles, H., Fox, S., Ryan, E. B., & Williams, A. (1993). Patronizing young and elderly adults: Response strategies in a community setting. Journal of Applied Communication Research, 21, 211–226.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Harwood, J., Giles, H., & Ryan, E. B. (1995). Aging, communication, and intergroup theory: Social identity and intergenerational communication. In Nussbaum, J. L. & Coupland, J. (eds.), Handbook of communication and aging research (pp. 133–159). Hillsdale, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates.Google Scholar
Harwood, J., McKee, J., & Lin, M-C, (2000). Younger and older adults’ schematic representations of intergenerational communication. Communication Monographs, 67, 20–41.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Harwood, J., Ryan, E. B., Giles, H., & Tysoski, S. (1997). Evaluations of patronizing speech and three response styles in a non-service-providing context. Journal of Applied Communication Research, 25, 170–195.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Heckhausen, J., Dixon, R. A., & Baltes, P. B. (1989). Gains and losses in development throughout adulthood as perceived by different adult age groups. Developmental Psychology, 25, 109–121.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Hehman, J. A., & Bugental, D. B. (2015). Responses to patronizing communication and factors that attenuate those responses. Psychology and Aging, 30, 552–560.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Herman, R. E., & Williams, K. N. (2009). Elderspeak’s influence on resistiveness to care: Focus on behavioral events. American Journal of Alzheimer’s Disease & Other Dementias, 24, 417–423.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Hess, U., Adams, R. B., Simard, A., Stevenson, M. T., & Kleck, R. E. (2012). Smiling and sad wrinkles: Age-related changes in the face and the perception of emotions and intentions. Journal of Experimental Social Psychology, 48, 1377–1380.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Higgs, P., & Gilleard, C. (2010). Generational conflict, consumption and the ageing welfare state in the United Kingdom. Ageing and Society, 30, 1439–1451.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Hummert, M. L. (1990). Multiple stereotypes of elderly and young adults: A comparison of structure and evaluations. Psychology and Aging, 5, 182–193.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Hummert, M. L. (1994). Stereotypes of the elderly and patronizing speech style. In Hummert, M. L., Wiemann, J. M., & Nussbaum, J. F. (eds.), Interpersonal communication in older adulthood: Interdisciplinary theory and research (pp. 162–185). Newbury Park, CA: Sage.Google Scholar
Hummert, M. L. (1999). Age stereotyping: Social cognitive and developmental issues. In Hess, T. M. & Blanchard-Fields, F. (eds.), Social cognition and aging (pp. 175–196). New York: Academic Press.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Hummert, M. L. (2011). Age stereotypes and aging. In Schaie, K. W. & Willis, S. L. (eds.), Handbook of the psychology of aging (7th ed., pp. 249–262). San Diego, CA: Academic Press.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Hummert, M. L. (2012). Challenges and opportunities for communication between age groups. In Giles, H. (ed.) Handbook of intergroup communication (pp. 223–249). New York: Routledge.Google Scholar
Hummert, M. L. (2014). Age changes in facial morphology, emotional communication, and age stereotyping. In Verhaeghen, P. & Hertzog, C. (eds.), The Oxford handbook of emotion, social cognition, and problem solving in adulthood (pp. 47–60). New York: Oxford University Press.Google Scholar
Hummert, M. L. (2019). Intergenerational communication. In Harwood, J., Nussbaum, J. F., Gallois, C., Pierson, H., & Gasiorek, J. (eds.), Language, communication, and intergroup relations: A festschrift to honor Howard Giles (pp. 130–161). New York: Routledge.Google Scholar
Hummert, M. L., & Flora, J. (1999). Responses to patronizing talk: Perceptions of college students and nursing home staff. Fourth International Conference on Communication, Aging, and Health. Brisbane, Australia.Google Scholar
Hummert, M. L., Garstka, T. A., O’Brien, L. T., Greenwald, A. G., & Mellott, D. S. (2002). Using the Implicit Association Test to measure age differences in implicit social cognitions. Psychology and Aging, 17, 482–495.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Hummert, M. L., Garstka, T. A., Ryan, E. B., & Bonnesen, J. L. (2004). The role of age stereotypes in interpersonal communication. In Nussbaum, J. F. & Coupland, J. (eds.), The handbook of communication and aging, (2nd ed., pp. 91–114). Mahwah, NJ: Erlbaum.Google Scholar
Hummert, M. L., Garstka, T. A., & Shaner, J. L. (1995). Beliefs about language performance: Adults’ perceptions about self and elderly targets. Journal of Language and Social Psychology, 14, 235–259.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Hummert, M. L., Garstka, T. A., & Shaner, J. (1997). Stereotyping of older adults: The role of target facial cues and perceiver characteristics. Psychology and Aging, 12, 107–114.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Hummert, M. L., Garstka, T. A., Shaner, J. L., & Strahm, S. (1994). Stereotypes of the elderly held by young, middle-aged and elderly adults. Journal of Gerontology: Psychological Sciences, 49, P240–P249.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Hummert, M. L., Garstka, T. A., Shaner, J. L., & Strahm, S. (1995). Judgments about stereotypes of the elderly: Attitudes, age associations, and typicality ratings. Research on Aging, 17, 168–189.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Hummert, M. L., & Mazloff, D. (2001). Older adults’ responses to patronizing advice: Balancing politeness and identity in context. Journal of Language and Social Psychology, 20, 168–196.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Hummert, M. L., Mazloff, D., & Henry, C. (1999). Vocal characteristics of older adults and stereotyping. Journal of Nonverbal Behavior, 23, 111–132.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Hummert, M. L., & Ryan, E. B. (1996). Toward understanding variations in patronizing talk addressed to older adults: Psycholinguistic features of care and control. International Journal of Psycholinguistics, 12, 149–169.Google Scholar
Hummert, M. L., & Ryan, E. B. (2001). Patronizing communication. In Robinson, W. P. & Giles, H. (eds.), The new handbook of language and social psychology (pp. 253–269). Chichester, UK: John Wiley & Sons.Google Scholar
Hummert, M. L., Shaner, J. L., Garstka, T. A., & Henry, C. (1998). Communication with older adults: The influence of age stereotypes, context, and communicator age. Human Communication Research, 25, 125–152.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Huntley, R., Hollien, H., & Shipp, T. (1987). Influences of perceiver characteristics on perceived age estimations. Journal of Voice, 1, 49–52.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Kemper, S. (1994). “Elderspeak”: Speech accommodations to older adults. Aging and Cognition, 1, 17–28.Google Scholar
Kemper, S., & Harden, T. (1999). Experimentally disentangling what’s beneficial about elderspeak from what’s not. Psychology and Aging, 14, 656–670.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Levy, B. (2009). Stereotype embodiment: A psychosocial approach to aging. Current Directions in Psychological Science, 18, 332–336. http://10.111/j.1467-8721.2009.01662.xCrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Lin, M-C (2020). Communication neglect, caregiver anger and hostility, and perceptions of older care receivers’ cognitive status and problem behaviors in explaining elder abuse. Journal of Elder Abuse and Neglect, 32, 235–258.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Milord, J. T. (1978). Aesthetic aspects of faces: A (somewhat) phenomenological analysis using multidimensional scaling methods. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 36, 205–216.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Mulac, A., & Giles, H. (1996). “You’re only as old as you sound”: Perceived vocal age and social meanings. Health Communication, 8, 199–215.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Myers, K. K., & Davis, C. W. (2012). Communication between the generations. In Giles, H. (ed.) Handbook of intergroup communication (pp. 237–249). New York: Routledge.Google Scholar
O’Connor, B. P., & Rigby, H. (1996). Perceptions of baby talk, frequency of receiving baby talk, and self-esteem among community and nursing home residents. Psychology and Aging, 11, 147–154.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Rhodes, M. G., & Anastasi, J. S. (2012). The own-age bias in face recognition: A meta-analytic and theoretical review. Psychological Bulletin, 138, 146–174.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Riediger, M., Voelkle, M. C., Ebner, N. C., & Lindenberger, U. (2011). Beyond “happy, angry, or sad?” Age-of-poser and age-of-rater effects on multi-dimensional emotion perception. Cognition and Emotion, 25, 968–982.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Ryan, E. B., Bieman-Copland, S., Kwong See, S. T., Ellis, C. H., & Anas, A. P. (2002). Age excuses: Conversational management of memory failures in older adults. Journals of Gerontology: Psychological Sciences, 57B, P256–P267.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Ryan, E. B., & Capadano, H. L. (1978). Age perceptions and evaluative reactions toward adult speakers. Journal of Gerontology, 33, 98–102.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Ryan, E. B., Giles, H., Bartolucci, G., & Henwood, K. (1986). Psycholinguistic and social psychological components of communication by and with the elderly. Language and Communication, 6, 1–24.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Ryan, E. B., Hummert, M. L., & Boich, L (1995). Communication predicaments of aging: Patronizing behavior toward older adults. Journal of Language and Social Psychology, 14, 144–166.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Ryan, E. B., Kennaley, D. E., Pratt, M. W., & Shumovich, M. A. (2000). Evaluations by staff, residents, and community seniors of patronizing speech in the nursing home: Impact of passive, assertive, or humorous responses. Psychology and Aging, 15, 272–285.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Ryan, E. B., Kwong See, S., Meneer, W. B., & Trovato, D. (1992). Age-based perceptions of language performance among young and older adults. Communication Research, 19, 423–443.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Ryan, E. B., & Laurie, S. (1990). Evaluations of older and younger adult speakers: The influence of communication effectiveness and noise. Psychology and Aging, 5, 513–518.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Ryan, E. B., Meredith, S. D., MacLean, M. J., & Orange, J. B. (1995). Changing the way we talk with elders: Promoting health using the Communication Enhancement Model. International Journal of Aging and Human Development, 41, 87–105.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Ryan, E. B., Meredith, S. D., & Shantz, G. B. (1994). Evaluative perceptions of patronizing speech addressed to institutionalized elders in contrasting conversational contexts. Canadian Journal on Aging, 13, 236–248.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Sachweh, S. (1998). Granny darling’s nappies: Secondary babytalk in German nursing homes. Journal of Applied Communication Research, 26, 52–65.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Savundranayagam, M. Y., Basque, S. R., & Johnson, K. (2019). Feasibility of a dementia-focused person-centered communication intervention for home care workers. Clinical Gerontologist, 43, 181–192.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Savundranayagam, M. Y., Sibalija, J., & Scotchmer, E. (2016). Resident reactions to person-centered communication by long-term care staff. American Journal of Alzheimer’s Disease & Other Dementias, 20, 530–537.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Schmidt, D. F., & Boland, S. M. (1986). The structure of impressions of older adults: Evidence for multiple stereotypes. Psychology and Aging, 1, 255–260.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Tajfel, H., & Turner, J. C. (1979). An integrative theory of intergroup conflict. In Austin, W. C. & Worchel, S. (eds.), The social psychology of intergroup relations (pp. 33–53). Monterey, CA: Brooks/Cole.Google Scholar
Tajfel, H., & Turner, J. C. (1986). The social identity theory of intergroup behavior. In Worchel, S. & Austin, W. G. (eds.), Psychology of intergroup relations (2nd ed., pp. 7–24). Chicago: Nelson-Hall.Google Scholar
.Voelkle, M. C., Ebner, N. C., Lindenberger, U., & Riediger, M. (2012). Let me guess how old you are: Effects of age, gender, and facial expression on perceptions of age. Psychology and Aging, 27, 265–277.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Watson, D., Clark, L. A., & Tellegen, A. (1988). Development and validation of brief measures of positive and negative affect: The PANAS scales. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 54, 1063–1070.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Westerhof, G. J., & Barrett, A. E. (2005). Age identity and subjective well-being: A comparison of the United States and Germany. The Journals of Gerontology, Series B: Psychological Sciences and Social Sciences, 60B, S129–136. http://10.1093/geronb/60.3.S129CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Williams, A., & Giles, H. (1996). Intergenerational conversations: Young adults’ retrospective accounts. Human Communication Research, 23, 220–250.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Williams, K., Kemper, S., & Hummert, M. L. (2003). Improving nursing home communication: An intervention to reduce elderspeak. The Gerontologist, 43, 242–247.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Williams, K. N., Perkhounkova, Y., Herman, R., Bossen, A. (2017). A communication intervention to reduce resistiveness in dementia care: A cluster randomized controlled trial. The Gerontologist, 57, 707–718.Google ScholarPubMed

Save book to Kindle

To save this book to your Kindle, first ensure [email protected] is added to your Approved Personal Document E-mail List under your Personal Document Settings on the Manage Your Content and Devices page of your Amazon account. Then enter the ‘name’ part of your Kindle email address below. Find out more about saving to your Kindle.

Note you can select to save to either the @free.kindle.com or @kindle.com variations. ‘@free.kindle.com’ emails are free but can only be saved to your device when it is connected to wi-fi. ‘@kindle.com’ emails can be delivered even when you are not connected to wi-fi, but note that service fees apply.

Find out more about the Kindle Personal Document Service.

Available formats
×

Save book to Dropbox

To save content items to your account, please confirm that you agree to abide by our usage policies. If this is the first time you use this feature, you will be asked to authorise Cambridge Core to connect with your account. Find out more about saving content to Dropbox.

Available formats
×

Save book to Google Drive

To save content items to your account, please confirm that you agree to abide by our usage policies. If this is the first time you use this feature, you will be asked to authorise Cambridge Core to connect with your account. Find out more about saving content to Google Drive.

Available formats
×