ABSTRACT
In the first edition of this handbook, we noted that much of the literature on communication and aging pointed to negative age stereotypes as a major influence on speech accommodations to older adults (Coupland & Coupland, 1989; Coupland, Coupland, Giles, & Henwood, 1988; Harwood, Giles, & Ryan, 1995; Hummert, 1994a; Ryan, Giles, Bartolucci, & Henwood, 1986). Accordingly, our chapter reviewed the literature on age stereotypes, age attitudes, beliefs about aging, and communication (see Hummert, Shaner, & Garstka, 1995). That review highlighted the complex nature of age stereotypes, showing that they include positive as well as negative views of older individuals. It also revealed that the relationship between age stereotypes and communication was more complex than initially conceptualized. As a result, we suggested four research questions for future research:
(1) What factors in the communication situation lead to positive or negative stereotyping of older adults? (2) What individual differences between communicators are related to positive or negative stereotyping of older adults? (3) What communication behaviors are associated with positive or negative stereotyping of older adults? and (4) How do the communication behaviors of the conversants affect stereotyping and self-perception processes? (Hummert, Shaner, et al., 1995, p. 125).
