Daily ageism and negative affect as a function of older adults' sexual orientation

Although the link between ageism and poorer well-being is well-established, little is known about how this association fluctuates daily or whether it varies as a function of sexual orientation, due to the double jeopardy of age and sexual minority stigmas. In this article, we examined the daily coupling of ageism and negative affect (NA) among sexual minority and heterosexual older adults in Israel, a context historically characterized by sexual minority stigma. For this purpose, community-dwelling lesbian, gay, bisexual, and heterosexual middle-aged and older adults (N = 151, Mage = 59.73, range = 50-79) completed measures of daily ageism as indicated by ageist messages, experiences of age-based discrimination, internalization of ageist beliefs, and NA over 14 consecutive days. Results showed that participants reported higher daily NA on days when they experienced higher levels of ageism. The daily association between ageist messages and the internalization of ageist beliefs (both descriptive and prescriptive) and NA was stronger among older adults belonging to sexual minorities compared to their heterosexual counterparts. No such interaction was found for experiences of age-based discrimination. Investigating daily fluctuations in ageism and well-being among older adults from diverse sexual orientation groups is essential, as it captures the context-dependent and recurring nature of age-related stigma in everyday life. From an applied perspective, this research helps identify daily vulnerabilities in well-being faced by an understudied sexual minority population, namely, older sexual minority adults. It underscores the importance for practitioners to recognize these day-to-day challenges and consider timely, context-sensitive interventions to support their well-being. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2026 APA, all rights reserved).