Racial Prejudice and the Elderly

Summary White elderly populations hold more racial prejudices than younger generations White elderly populations hold more racial prejudices than younger generations More likely to rely on stereotypes More likely to rely on stereotypes “Old people are products of less enlightened times…and they are unlikely to change.” “Old people are products of less enlightened times…and they are unlikely to change.” Physiological influences Physiological influences Less inhibition of voicing prejudices due to atrophy of the frontal lobe Less inhibition of voicing prejudices due to atrophy of the frontal lobe

Summary Disapprove of interracial dating: Disapprove of interracial dating: 35% Americans 60 years or older 35% Americans 60 years or older 16% Baby boomers 16% Baby boomers 6% Americans 30 years or younger 6% Americans 30 years or younger Implicit biases Implicit biases Whites aged 60 or older have 5-10% more biases than younger participants Whites aged 60 or older have 5-10% more biases than younger participants

The “Bradley Effect” Implicit prejudice affects behavior Implicit prejudice affects behavior Obama finished far worse than polls predicted in four states with relatively low black populations. Obama finished far worse than polls predicted in four states with relatively low black populations. Disconnect between what they say and what they do Disconnect between what they say and what they do How will this affect the election? How will this affect the election? Impossible to know which anti-Obama feelings are related to prejudice Impossible to know which anti-Obama feelings are related to prejudice

“Stereotyping Against Your Will” Participants read a story about a student athlete named Jamal or a honors student named John Participants read a story about a student athlete named Jamal or a honors student named John Formed impression about the social identity of John/Jamal Formed impression about the social identity of John/Jamal Told to ignore the individual’s background information or perceived social identity Told to ignore the individual’s background information or perceived social identity Series of questionnaires, included questions about his intelligence Series of questionnaires, included questions about his intelligence Read paragraph containing distracting text Read paragraph containing distracting text Tested ability to inhibit the awareness of this text Tested ability to inhibit the awareness of this text

Results and Conclusions Older participants: Older participants: Read paragraphs with distracters more slowly Read paragraphs with distracters more slowly Perceived Jamal’s intelligence to be significantly lower than John’s Perceived Jamal’s intelligence to be significantly lower than John’s Conclusions: reduced ability to inhibit results in greater use of negative stereotypes and prejudices Conclusions: reduced ability to inhibit results in greater use of negative stereotypes and prejudices Elderly participants rely on stereotypes more often Elderly participants rely on stereotypes more often Older participants had greater motivation to control expression of prejudiced thoughts Older participants had greater motivation to control expression of prejudiced thoughts Try to inhibit the learned stereotypes from an earlier era, yet unable Try to inhibit the learned stereotypes from an earlier era, yet unable

Post-election Elderly white population’s prejudices did not affect Obama’s win Elderly white population’s prejudices did not affect Obama’s win What about the opposite effect: black populations who voted for Obama because of his race? What about the opposite effect: black populations who voted for Obama because of his race?