Ageism Affects the Future Time Perspective of Older Adults

These studies tested whether ageism affects the future time perspective (FTP) of older adults. Ageism occurs when someone is classified as “old” and is judged or treated differently as a result. To mimic this, we recruited participants (aged 50+) from Amazon’s Mechanical Turk. We made their age salient, exposed them to negative aging stereotypes, and asked them to complete Carstensen and Lang’s (1996) FTP Scale. Across multiple studies, participants assigned to the ageism conditions rated their futures as having fewer opportunities. This effect was mediated by mood and did not occur for younger adult participants. In addition, as the personal experiences of older adults with ageism increased, their perception of futures opportunities decreased. Thus, ageism reduces the future opportunities older adults see for themselves.