AGEISM IN EVERYDAY CONTEXTS: FACTORS THAT INFLUENCE PERCEPTIONS AND OUTCOMES

Butler coined the term ‘ageism’ in 1969 to highlight discriminatory practices against older adults. Since then the definition has expanded to encompass age-based discrimination across the lifespan. Although much research has examined individual experiences of other forms of discrimination, e.g., racism or sexism, surprisingly little is known about the degree to which individuals face ageism in their everyday lives. It is therefore pertinent to understand how age biases manifest in the context of individuals’ daily lives, the variety of forms that ageism can take, the perceptions of acceptability of these experiences, and the outcomes that result. This symposium examines young, middle-aged and older adults’ experiences of ageism at both interpersonal and societal levels. Chasteen et al. consider how adults of all ages respond to benevolent and hostile ageism from perpetrators of varying degrees of interpersonal familiarity. Horhota et al. provide a detailed picture of adults’ personal experiences of ageism by examining age differences in the general domain (e.g., work, social) and specific content of reported ageist experiences, in addition to examining the coping strategies used to respond to the experience. Swift considers ageism in the workplace, examining negative meta-perceptions of older workers and their impact on job satisfaction and retirement intentions. Finally, North presents evidence that agency prescriptions unequally target men and women across the lifespan, and explores the social and economic consequences for agentic behavior in various domains.