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Late Aging: A Stereotype Analysis

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During the time of late adulthood, there are many stereotypes that are simply untrue in many cases. The notion that we age and lose our memory, or unable to fall in love, or become poor and lonely are not true (Berk, 2014). While these incidents certainly do happen, they are not part of the aging process. Some of the more interesting stereotypes suggest that elderly men and women lose their memory and are unable to recollect the past (Berk, 2014). Elderly do tend to develop memory slower or have to think more about the past recall memories of the loss of memory suggest an underlying illness, like Alzheimer's disease or dementia. It can also be a warning sign of an infection. Other stereotype suggest that elderly or unable to have intimate romance …show more content…

Stereotypical threats also reduce performance of cognition such as memory, intelligence and the ability to function in society and in a sense, the negativity is materialized and believed as the truth. Wisdom is seen as the position of the experience gathered over time and is used by the elderly to recount the past and tell stories, while giving advice to the younger generations (Berk, 2014). When these younger generations listen to the practical knowledge that is being given by this older generation and they learn about others’ lives, they hear it as wisdom. A wise old or is said to possess these traits. With that in mind, it is important for wise elders to maintain this history of knowledge, but build upon it as well. First of all, it promotes memory and attention, that's maintaining cognitive ability to learn, increase memory function and communicate well with others (Berk, 2014). Secondly their information may be outdated, so maintaining up-to-date knowledge is critical to ensure the relevance of the knowledge they possess (Berk, 2014). Lastly, not only does their knowledge need to be relevant, but they have the need to stay relevant so it continues to promote their wisdom for others that's leading to higher self-esteem (Berk,

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