Abstract

In two experiments, we examined younger and older participants’ appraisals of memory failures in fictitious characters portrayed as younger (in their 20’s to 30’s) or older (in their 60’s to 70’s) adults. Participants read vignettes where forgetful behavior had minor or more severe consequences for the target character (Experiment 1) or for the character and others in the social environment (Experiment 2). Participants rated potential causes of the forgetfulness and opinions concerning the target character’s cognitive health. In Experiment 1, an age-based double standard was observed, where both age groups rated ability as a cause of forgetting more often for older than younger characters. Ratings of forgetfulness as a sign of mental difficulty, need for memory training, and professional evaluation were also higher for older compared to younger characters. In Experiment 2, the Attribution Type by Target Age interaction effect was replicated. Ability and effort contributed to the significance of the interaction, confirming the reliability and generalizability of the age-based double standard. Forgetfulness was rated as a sign of mental difficulty more often for the older than younger characters, replicating Experiment 1. In both experiments, the consequences of the forgetting had a large impact on the attribution and opinion ratings for younger and older forgetful characters. These data suggest that people of all ages evaluate forgetful characters in light of situational outcomes as well as ageist presumptions of cognitive frailty in later life.

摘要

在两个实验中，我们检查了年轻和年长的参与者对描绘成年轻（20 多岁到 30 多岁）或年长（60 多岁到 70 多岁）成年人的虚构人物的记忆失败的评估。参与者阅读小插曲，其中健忘行为对目标角色（实验 1）或角色和社会环境中的其他人（实验 2）产生了轻微或更严重的后果。参与者对健忘的潜在原因和关于目标角色认知健康的意见进行了评级。在实验 1 中，观察到基于年龄的双重标准，两个年龄组都将能力视为老年人比年轻人更容易忘记的原因。将健忘评定为精神困难的标志，需要进行记忆训练，与年轻角色相比，年长角色的专业评价也更高。在实验 2 中，复制了按目标年龄划分的归因类型交互效应。能力和努力促成了互动的重要性，证实了基于年龄的双重标准的可靠性和普遍性。与年轻角色相比，健忘更常被评为心理困难的标志，重复实验 1。在两个实验中，遗忘的后果对年轻和年长健忘角色的归因和意见评级有很大影响。这些数据表明，所有年龄段的人都会根据情境结果以及对晚年认知脆弱的年龄歧视假设来评估健忘的性格。复制了按目标年龄划分的归因类型交互效应。能力和努力促成了互动的重要性，证实了基于年龄的双重标准的可靠性和普遍性。与年轻角色相比，健忘更常被评为心理困难的标志，重复实验 1。在两个实验中，遗忘的后果对年轻和年长健忘角色的归因和意见评级有很大影响。这些数据表明，所有年龄段的人都会根据情境结果以及对晚年认知脆弱的年龄歧视假设来评估健忘的性格。复制了按目标年龄划分的归因类型交互效应。能力和努力促成了互动的重要性，证实了基于年龄的双重标准的可靠性和普遍性。与年轻角色相比，健忘更常被认为是心理困难的标志，重复实验 1。在这两个实验中，遗忘的后果对年轻和年长健忘角色的归因和意见评级有很大影响。这些数据表明，所有年龄段的人都会根据情境结果以及对晚年认知脆弱的年龄歧视假设来评估健忘的性格。确认基于年龄的双重标准的可靠性和普遍性。与年轻角色相比，健忘更常被评为心理困难的标志，重复实验 1。在两个实验中，遗忘的后果对年轻和年长健忘角色的归因和意见评级有很大影响。这些数据表明，所有年龄段的人都会根据情境结果以及对晚年认知脆弱的年龄歧视假设来评估健忘的性格。确认基于年龄的双重标准的可靠性和普遍性。与年轻角色相比，健忘更常被评为心理困难的标志，重复实验 1。在两个实验中，遗忘的后果对年轻和年长健忘角色的归因和意见评级有很大影响。这些数据表明，所有年龄段的人都会根据情境结果以及对晚年认知脆弱的年龄歧视假设来评估健忘的性格。