1994/06/01 by Mary Lee Hummert, Jaye L. Shaner · 3 citations
Arts and Humanities · Psychology · Social Sciences · #Aging and Gerontology Research #Language, Discourse, Communication Strategies #Social and Intergroup Psychology
paper · doi:10.1080/10510979409368419
openalex publication_date 1994/06/01 · openalex created_date 2025/10/10 · openalex updated_date 2026/07/29
This study tested the predictions of a model of the role of the stereotypes of the elderly in interaction. Young adult subjects participated in a role playing task with two elderly targets, one representing a negative stereotype and one a positive stereotype. Their beliefs about their own and the targets’ vocal characteristics were assessed. Persuasive messages subjects delivered to targets were audiotaped. Results supported the predictions of the model. First, subjects rated the voice of the negative target as qualitatively older than the voice of the positive target. Second, ratings of subjects’ own vocal characteristics varied with the target, showing that they believed they would use a patronizing speech style with the negative target, but not with the positive one. Third, messages to the negative target contained more characteristics of the patronizing style than did messages to positive targets. Messages to negative targets contained fewer arguments, shorter utterances and were more demeaning in emotional tone than messages to positive targets. Message rate, directiveness, and grammatical complexity did not differ across targets, however, contrary to expectations. Results are discussed in light of the model proposed.