Attitudes and stereotypes about attitudes across the lifespan

In the first of two telephone-survey studies, factor analysis of the attitu des of 159 respondents revealed a general conservatism factor and two forms of liberalism, traditional and radical. Conservatism increased with age, t raditional liberalism was strongest in women and middle-aged persons, and r adical liberalism was stronger in men and decreased with age. In the second study, 240 respondents estimated the attitudes of a young, middle-aged, or old male or female target. Evidence of an "old-is-conservative" stereotype was clearest among young participants. Among old participants, the stereot ype was evident only when the target was male. People associated traditiona l liberalism more with women than with men and radical liberalism more with men than with women. Both kinds of liberalism were expected to decrease wi th age, The authors conclude that age plays as important a role as gender i n the attitude impressions people form during initial encounters.