Age-based stereotype threat
Age-based stereotype threat has been studied in 5 papers since 2022: 2 trials and 2 observational studies in people, 1 review; 1 in the past year. The newest paper, Jul 16, 2026: “Age-based stereotype threat mechanisms: Evidence from a working-memory task”.
5 papers study it8 findingsUpdated
“ABST reduced memory performance and disrupted more the recall of words learned with the imagery strategy.”
None of its findings points the other way.
- 4 independent labs in 3 countries
- Funders: National Institute on Aging and 3 more
- Human trial2
- Humans2
What did studies of Age-based stereotype threat find?
8Studies of Age-based stereotype threat measured 8 outcomes; the most studied are response times (1 study), omissions (1) and practice-related gains in hit rates (1).
Response times
no changein humans1
1 study
Response times
no changein humans1
Age-based stereotype threat has no effect on response times in humans.
“No ABST effects were observed for response times, false alarms, drift rates, or boundary separation.”
Human trial
Age-based stereotype threat mechanisms: Evidence from a working-memory task
Psychology and aging
Omissions
upin humans1
1 study
Omissions
upin humans1
Age-based stereotype threat increases omissions in humans.
“participants in the ABST condition showed reduced practice-related gains in hit rates and a selective increase in omissions.”
Human trial
Age-based stereotype threat mechanisms: Evidence from a working-memory task
Psychology and aging
Practice-related gains in hit rates
downin humans1
1 study
Practice-related gains in hit rates
downin humans1
Age-based stereotype threat decreases practice-related gains in hit rates in humans.
“participants in the ABST condition showed reduced practice-related gains in hit rates”
Human trial
Age-based stereotype threat mechanisms: Evidence from a working-memory task
Psychology and aging
Memory performance
downin humans1
1 study
Memory performance
downin humans1
Age-based stereotype threat impairs memory performance in humans.
“Age-Based Stereotype Threat (ABST) adversely affects older adults' memory performance”
Review
Age-based stereotype threat effects: From the laboratory to the clinical setting
Cortex; a journal devoted to the study of the nervous system and behavior
Episodic memory performance
downin humans1
1 study
Episodic memory performance
downin humans1
Age-based stereotype threat impairs episodic memory performance in humans.
“ABST reduced memory performance and disrupted more the recall of words learned with the imagery strategy.”
Human trialAge-based stereotype threat versus control; greater disruption for words learned with mental imageryn = 75
Frontiers in psychology
Time-based prospective memory
downin humans1
1 study
Time-based prospective memory
downin humans1
Age-based stereotype threat impairs time-based prospective memory in humans (ηp2 = 0.08, p < 0.05).
“older adults under a blatant activation of ABST demonstrated lower TBPM accuracy (p < 0.05, ηp2 = 0.08).”
Human trialblatant activation of ABST vs neutral conditionn = 74
Effects of age-based stereotype threat on time-based prospective memory
Frontiers in psychology
Neuropsychological performance
no changein humans1
1 study
Neuropsychological performance
no changein humans1
Age-based stereotype threat has no effect on neuropsychological performance in humans.
“results showed no significant difference between groups on objective neuropsychological performance measures.”
Human trialn = 49
Age-based stereotype threat and neuropsychological performance in older adults
Neuropsychology, development, and cognition. Section B, Aging, neuropsychology and cognition
Attribution of memory errors to dementia
upin humans1
1 study
Attribution of memory errors to dementia
upin humans1
Age-based stereotype threat increases attribution of memory errors to dementia in humans (F(1,41) = 5.334, p = .026).
“Specifically, individuals in the ABST group were significantly more likely to attribute their memory errors to the onset of dementia”
Human trialn = 49
Age-based stereotype threat and neuropsychological performance in older adults
Neuropsychology, development, and cognition. Section B, Aging, neuropsychology and cognition