2005/05/16 by Jon F. Nussbaum, Margaret J. Pitts, Frances N. Huber +2 · 138 citations
Medicine · Psychology · Social Sciences · #Aging and Gerontology Research #Developmental psychology #Empirical research #Epistemology #Gerontology #Identity, Memory, and Therapy #Life span #Medicine #Psychology #Social psychology #Sociology #Stereotype (UML) #Technology Use by Older Adults
paper · doi:10.1111/j.1540-4560.2005.00406.x
published in Journal of Social Issues 61(2), 287-305 (Wiley)
openalex publication_date 2005/05/16 · openalex created_date 2025/10/10 · openalex updated_date 2026/07/02
The possible effects of ageist language and ageism on the structure and function of intimate and non‐intimate relationships have received significant attention from social scientists. Recent research grounded in communication accommodation theory ( Giles, Mulac, Bradac, & Johnson, 1987 ), the communication predicament model of ageing ( Ryan, Giles, Bartolucci, & Henwood, 1986 ), the communication enhancement model of ageing ( Ryan, Meredith, MacLean, & Orange, 1995 ), and ageing and stereotype research by Hummert (1994) and colleagues ( Hummert & Mazloff, 2001 ; Hummert, Shaner, & Garstka, 1995 ) point toward the numerous consequences of both negative and positive attitudes toward ageing. Focusing specifically on health care settings, this article reviews recent theoretical positions and empirical findings that link ageist language and ageism to these positive and negative social consequences, and offers pragmatic suggestions and directions for future research .