Generations as social categories: An exploratory cognitive study of generational identity and generational stereotypes in a multigenerational workforce

2018 ◽  
Vol 40 (4) ◽  
pp. 434-455 ◽  
Author(s):  
Annick H.D. Van Rossem
Keyword(s):  
Social Categories ◽  
Multigenerational Workforce ◽  
Generational Identity ◽  
Cognitive Study

scholarly journals Unpacking “OK, Boomer”: Using Lifespan Concepts to Ease Intergenerational Conflict

2020 ◽  
Vol 4 (Supplement_1) ◽  
pp. 531-531
Author(s):  
Allyson Graf ◽  
Robin Bartlett
Keyword(s):  
Life Span ◽  
Developmental Psychology ◽  
Intergenerational Conflict ◽  
Multigenerational Workforce ◽  
Age Identity ◽  
Developmental Experiences ◽  
Age Diversity ◽  
Generational Identity ◽  
Similarities And Differences ◽  
Normative Influences

Abstract With the “OK, Boomer” media exchange in late 2019, intergenerational conflict is touted as existing at an all-time high. Although the age diversity of today’s workforce is unprecedented, spanning nearly five generations of workers, generational stereotyping and its influence on the identities and experiences of those individuals is not new. In this talk, we will advocate for the role that lifespan developmental psychology can play in preparing students to enter a sometimes contentious, misrepresented multigenerational workforce. We will demonstrate the value of helping students distinguish normative age-graded, normative history-graded, and non-normative influences to better understand individual similarities and differences in developmental experiences. We will discuss research on age identity and generational identity as distinct and self-enhancing life-span processes. Finally, we will highlight the developmental barriers that must be navigated in order to foster intergenerational cohesion.

scholarly journals Age as an Overlooked Element of Diversity: Approaches to Addressing Intergenerational Perspectives

2020 ◽  
Vol 4 (Supplement_1) ◽  
pp. 531-531
Author(s):  
Allyson Graf ◽  
Amy Knepple Carney
Keyword(s):  
Developmental Psychology ◽  
Minority Communities ◽  
Negative Stereotypes ◽  
Multigenerational Workforce ◽  
Age Identity ◽  
Age Related ◽  
Lgbt Community ◽  
Generational Identity ◽  
Societal Problems ◽  
The Impact

Abstract Outside of gerontology, age is an often underappreciated element of diversity. At a time when all generations must work together to provide inclusive, multi-faceted solutions to today’s societal problems, ageist and generational stereotypes are often barriers to meaningful intergenerational exchanges. Age derogation and negative stereotypes have been used to splinter communities, perpetuate misinformation, and trivialize intergenerational conversations. As researchers, educators, and practitioners, we understand why age matters, but our students, community leaders, and employers may not. It is our disciplinary obligation to convince those who ignore, dismiss, or misrepresent age of the importance of this aspect of diversity for navigating any multigenerational setting. In this talk, we provide three approaches to addressing age-related beliefs in the classroom. We begin by exploring the impact of generational stereotypes within minority communities. For the LGBT community, negative stereotypes coupled with rapid social change have lead to a growing generational gap. We then shift perspectives to examine the role that lifespan developmental psychology can play in preparing students to enter a diverse multigenerational workforce. Here, we discuss research on age identity and generational identity as distinct and self-enhancing life-span processes, and highlight the developmental barriers that must be navigated in order to foster intergenerational cohesion. Finally, we discuss the findings from Generation to Generation, an intergenerational discussion course for older and younger adults, designed to promote productive intergenerational contact. The results provide evidence that intergenerational discussion may facilitate improved connections between generations.

Automatic Stereotype Activation Is Context Dependent

2010 ◽  
Vol 41 (3) ◽  
pp. 131-136 ◽  
Author(s):  
Catharina Casper ◽  
Klaus Rothermund ◽  
Dirk Wentura
Keyword(s):  
Lexical Decision ◽  
Context Information ◽  
Decision Task ◽  
Social Categories ◽  
Priming Effects ◽  
Stereotype Activation ◽  
Social Stereotypes ◽  
Priming Paradigm ◽  
Automatic Activation ◽  
Mental Schemas

Processes involving an automatic activation of stereotypes in different contexts were investigated using a priming paradigm with the lexical decision task. The names of social categories were combined with background pictures of specific situations to yield a compound prime comprising category and context information. Significant category priming effects for stereotypic attributes (e.g., Bavarians – beer) emerged for fitting contexts (e.g., in combination with a picture of a marquee) but not for nonfitting contexts (e.g., in combination with a picture of a shop). Findings indicate that social stereotypes are organized as specific mental schemas that are triggered by a combination of category and context information.

Cognitive Components of Ingroup Projection

2014 ◽  
Vol 45 (1) ◽  
pp. 15-30 ◽  
Author(s):  
Maya Machunsky ◽  
Thorsten Meiser
Keyword(s):  
Mental Representation ◽  
Cognitive Representation ◽  
Social Categories ◽  
Projection Model ◽  
Minimal Group ◽  
Model Experiments ◽  
Superordinate Category ◽  
Cognitive Components ◽  
Per Se

This research investigated whether relative ingroup prototypicality (i.e., the tendency to perceive one’s own ingroup as more prototypical of a superordinate category than the outgroup) can result from a prototype-based versus exemplar-based mental representation of social categories, rather than from ingroup membership per se as previously suggested by the ingroup projection model. Experiments 1 and 2 showed that a prototype-based group was perceived as more prototypical of a superordinate category than an exemplar-based group supporting the hypothesis that an intergroup context is not necessary for biased prototypicality judgments. Experiment 3 introduced an intergroup context in a minimal-group-like paradigm. The findings demonstrated that both the kind of cognitive representation and motivational processes contribute to biased prototypicality judgments in intergroup settings.

Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document