What is social aging?

Since the middle of the last century, the interest of psychology in anticipating social problems has put the development of older people in the spotlight and their participation in daily life.

According to sociological studies, our environment is aging by leaps and bounds. The number of elderly people is greater than ever and it is estimated that in 2025 there will be around 1.1 billion people over the age of 80. If the surveys carried out by the United Nations are true, 13.7% of the population would be between 60 and 80 years old.

The study of aging from the Social psychology It encompasses the psychological processes and mechanisms associated with this stage and how they are culturally and socially influenced. Consider aging as a period in which people achieve certain achievements and grow at the level psychosocial and defends that no life period should be defined by "loss", although all of them occur some.

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Old age, stability or change?

As we age, we face multiple novel situations to which we end up adapting. These situations make us aware of the passage of time and give us the opportunity to incorporate changes into our lives without losing the feeling of stability. Proof of this is that, according to numerous studies, people maintain great stability in our self-awareness throughout life.

Although most of the changes are incorporated into our self-awareness without losing the sense of continuity, some situations provoke an experience of rupture and mark the passage to a new stage.

The most relevant reminders are the bodily ones (pains and illnesses during old age), the symbolic ones (birthdays, anniversaries, etc.), the generational (related to family and friends), environmental (related to public life and work) and vital (experiences personal). One of the most relevant reminders is retirement, which, on the one hand, represents the opportunity to be autonomous and independent, but on the other hand another imposes a break with roles and habits that have been maintained for years, signaling the end of the middle age stage and the beginning of the old age.

Ageism or discrimination towards the elderly

People tend to develop stereotypical beliefs about people's age, which includes the personality, social roles or behaviors "proper" of each life stage. These beliefs are learned at a very early age and are passively and actively transmitted, for example, associating gray hair with old age or calling certain clothes or behaviors "inappropriate" in people greater.

According to a study by Cuddy, Norton, and Fiske, people over 70 are perceived as more incompetent, dependent, kind, calm and patient, as well as with less mental and physical well-being. These stereotypes, regardless of their connotation, promote a simplified and erroneous view of old age, but social psychology has found two interventions that can reduce them. First, to promote contact between different generations in order to foster mutual knowledge and interdependence. Second, educate in values ​​and promote respectful treatment of people of different ages.

How to combat the damaging effects of social aging

Often times, people who see their social self-esteem damaged implement strategies that, unconsciously, can help develop a positive social identity and improve subjective well-being. These strategies are applicable to older people who are victims of stereotypes related to old age.

1. Postpone social self-categorization

This strategy, common in middle-aged people and in the initial phases of advanced age, consists of postponing self-categorization as a member of the elderly group, that is, by moving the cut-off point from which old age begins as you get older.

2. Relative illusory optimism

This strategy, also known as self-exaltation, represents a way of reacting to the threat to self-esteem caused by belonging to the group of older people. It consists of perceiving oneself in a more favorable way than other people of the same age, either on a physical, social or psychological level.

It was studied by Heckhausen and Krueger. In their research, the people in the group over 60 years old were the only ones who responded differently for themselves and for the rest of the members of their age group. Some of the differences they pointed out were that they would lose their positive attributes more slowly than the rest and that they would take longer to suffer the negative effects of old age.

3. Absolute illusory optimism

When we are in a situation of uncertainty, we people tend to exaggerate our expectations of control and we develop an optimistic vision of the future. This strategy is frequent when, in addition to the uncertainty, there is a feeling of vulnerability, such as in people with health problems.

The difference between relative and absolute illusory optimism is that in the latter, the positive image of oneself is built without the need to compare with others. Both types of optimism decrease levels of stress and anxiety, and their absence is related to depressive and anxiety symptoms.

4. Asymmetric social comparisons

They can be "down" when compared to other people of the same age but in worse condition, or "up" when compared to people in better condition. In the first case, they allow to regulate the negative feelings that cause the deterioration of old age and improve self-esteem. They are common when it comes to difficulties or irreversible lossessuch as physical aging or the loss of a loved one.

Instead, upward comparisons provide hope and motivation to deal with a situation that it causes discomfort but has a remedy, since they provide information on how other people solved a problem.

Other specific strategies for the elderly are socio-emotional selection (choosing life experiences emotionally satisfactory), compensation mechanisms (use alternative resources that compensate for health losses, such as a companion or instrumental supports) and the underestimation of health (minimizing the importance of the symptoms, considering them normal for the age at have).