Categorization by Age

The process of age categorization serves biological, psychological, and social functions by enabling us to deal with stimuli from the world around us more effectively. For instance, categorizing the self as belonging to a particular age group can inform and provide a meaningful social identity, which is fundamental to how we define and see ourselves (Harwood et al. 1995; Tajfel and Turner 1979; Tajfel 1981). Perceiving others’ age can inform our feelings and behavior toward them, and can underpin judgments about attractiveness, which is associated with reproductive success (Jokela 2009). In this entry, we draw on social psychological, cognitive, and evolutionary theories to provide an overview of categorization by age. After defining age categories or groups and providing examples of the subjective nature of their boundaries, we provide an overview of the cognitive processes underpinning how people perceive others’ age, the biological and social cues used to estimate, and categorize others by age. We consider the function of age categorization, both as a way of classifying others to simplify the world around us and classifying ourselves to help define our own identity. We then explore the social psychological and behavioral consequences or risks of age categorization and how it underpins age stereotypes, age prejudice, and aged-based discrimination