▁att itudes , ▁which ▁may ▁then ▁lead ▁to ▁the ▁use ▁of ▁disc rimin atory ▁behavior . ▁Where ▁older ▁or ▁younger ▁contest ants ▁were ▁rejected ▁in ▁the ▁belief ▁that ▁they ▁were ▁poor ▁perform ers , ▁this ▁could ▁well ▁be ▁the ▁result ▁of ▁s tere ot yp ing . ▁ ▁But ▁older ▁people ▁were ▁also ▁voted ▁for ▁on ▁a ▁stage ▁in ▁a ▁game ▁where ▁it ▁made ▁sense ▁to ▁target ▁the ▁best ▁perform ers . ▁ ▁This ▁can ▁only ▁be ▁explained ▁by ▁a ▁sub cons cious ▁emot ional ▁reaction ▁to ▁older ▁people ; ▁in ▁this ▁case , ▁the ▁pre jud ice ▁took ▁the ▁form ▁of ▁dist aste ▁and ▁a ▁desire ▁to ▁exclude ▁ones elf ▁from ▁the ▁company ▁of ▁older ▁people . ▁ ▁S tere ot yp ing ▁and ▁pre jud ice ▁against ▁different ▁groups ▁in ▁society ▁does ▁not ▁take ▁the ▁same ▁form . ▁ ▁Age - based ▁pre jud ice ▁and ▁s tere ot yp ing ▁usually ▁involves ▁older ▁or ▁younger ▁people ▁being ▁pit ied , ▁marg inal ized , ▁or ▁patron ized . ▁ ▁This ▁is ▁described ▁as ▁" b ene vol ent ▁pre jud ice " ▁because ▁the ▁t endency ▁to ▁pity ▁is ▁linked ▁to ▁seeing ▁older ▁or ▁younger ▁people ▁as ▁" friend ly " ▁but ▁" in comp et ent ." ▁Age ▁Conc ern ' s ▁survey ▁revealed ▁strong ▁evidence ▁of ▁" b ene vol ent ▁pre jud ice ." ▁▁ 4 8 % ▁said ▁that ▁over - 7 0 s ▁are ▁viewed ▁as ▁friendly ▁( comp ared ▁to ▁ 2 7 %