AGING FREE FROM NEGATIVE STEREOTYPES - SUCCESSFUL MEMORY IN CHINA ANDAMONG THE AMERICAN DEAF

This study explores whether negative stereotypes about aging contribut e to memory loss in old age. The research participants consisted of ol d and young Chinese hearing, American Deaf, and American hearing indiv iduals. Members of the mainland Chinese and the American Deaf cultures were recruited on the basis of the belief that they would be less lik ely than hearing Americans to be exposed to and accept negative stereo types about aging. The expected results were (a) an interaction in whi ch the 3 groups of younger Ss would perform similarly on the memory ta sks, whereas the older Deaf and older Chinese participants would outpe rform the older American hearing group and (b) a positive correlation between view toward aging and memory performance among the old Ss. The data supported both hypotheses. The results suggest that cultural bel iefs about aging play a role in determining the degree of memory loss people experience in old age.