Title: Am I a Senior Citizen? Age, Terminology, and What Old Means
Headings: Am I a Senior Citizen? Age, Terminology, and What "Old" Really Means
Am I a Senior Citizen? Age, Terminology, and What "Old" Really Means
Old, Elderly, or Geriatric? Definitions and Connotations
When Does Old Age Begin?
The Positive and Negative Effects of Age Stereotypes
The Bottom Line

Content: The Positive and Negative Effects of Age Stereotypes
Old age is often characterized as a time of loneliness, frailty, and decline. Conversely, it has also been described as a time of freedom, happiness, and affluence. Every person's experiences are unique. But such contemporary stereotypes about aging can have a big impact on the decisions people make and the attitudes they adopt. They can even affect people's physical and cognitive health. Older adults who are constantly exposed to negative aging stereotypes can internalize the messages and unconsciously make them come true. According to an article in the Journal of Geriatrics, one study found that seniors who received subtle messages with words like "senile" and "incompetent" before taking memory tests performed worse than the seniors who were primed with more positive words. In another study, receiving negative subliminal age-related messages caused older adults' cardiovascular stress levels to rise both before and after mentally challenging activities like math quizzes. Research has even shown that seniors who hold negative self-stereotypes regarding age are less likely to agree to medical treatment that would prolong their life. On the other hand, negative age stereotypes can actually motivate people to focus on actively preventing those stereotypes from coming true.