The inner self of the Japanese elderly: A defense against negative stereotypes of aging

Japanese scholars have reported that the Japanese people tend to maintain h ighly developed outer and inner selves. This study examines how these selve s impact on aging. We hypothesized that the Japanese elderly would express more negative attitudes toward old people in general but more positive self -concepts than elders in China and the United States. The results supported this predicted pattern. They suggest an unusual dynamic of aging and self- identity in Japan that can shed light on the role of the self in accepting or rejecting societal stereotypes about aging.