Essay Sample on Age Priming: A Major Change in Human Behavior

Introduction

Psychology is a broad branch of knowledge that deals with the study of the human mind, how it behaves in different conditions and the factors that causes the change in behavior. In psychology, there are different issues that a person may go through leading to a change in behavior. In most cases, these issues may result in permanent change of behavior. One such issue that has been identified to be a major change in behavior is age priming. According to Molden (2014), age priming refers to the state whereby people are stereotyped regarding their age causing them to start behaving according to that particular age. Many people have been victim of age priming and this issue has greatly affected their behavior in different ways.

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In psychology, there are different way age priming occurs and make someone to change his or her behavior. In most cases, age priming occurs to people who are old. According to Dioux et al., (2016), these people are made to believe that they cannot take up some tasks. This issue will affect them because they will feel like their energy is reduced hence they cannot engage in some duties effectively (Dioux et al., 2016). Therefore, when these individuals are given some work to do, they use have a lower speed and they may not reach the required target. Also, age priming may cause these individuals to be more conscious when they are undertaking their duties. Not only are the older people affected due to age priming but also the young one (Dioux et al., 2016). Most people when they are stereotyped that they are young, they will develop energy that will make them be able to carry out certain tasks with speed hence completing them in the shortest time (Dioux et al., 2016). As much as these individuals may have the energy to undertake the work they are will not be cautious since them main focus is to accomplish the work in the shortest time.

According to Doyen et al., (2012), age priming may be associate with behavioral priming. However, behavioral priming is all in the mind of an individual. The mind is known to be a powerful tool and it can process any information that is fed into it. Therefore, when a person is primed concerning his or her age and believes so, he or she will start behaving in that stereotypes way. For example, when a person is told that he or she is an old person and that person let the information go into the mind, the behavior will change (Doyen, 2012). Such an individual will start behaving like an old person and for example, that person may start walking slowly. However, when a person does not believe that he or she is old in the mind, the behavior will not change.

The other issue that is related to age priming is social attitudes as well as mimicry. Different people are likely to exhibit various social attitudes when they are interacting with others (Leighton et al., 2010). These social attitudes may result in age priming in instances whereby a person interacting with other may feel that he or she is old and does not fit in a particular groups (Leighton et al., 2010). This element may cause a person to behave as an old person because he or she views him or herself that way. Also, mimicry plays a significant role in age priming. There is a great different on how old people talk compared to young ones. These individuals may be mimicked when they are taking. The act of mimicry will make them to feel old (Leighton et al., 2010). When these individuals who are not old enough start experiencing this issue, they will behave as if they are old as a result of mimicry.

Age priming can have some effects on the work performance of a person. Various studies have been carried out to identify the negative and positive effects of age priming on people working in a certain place (Kirchner, Bock & Volker 2017). When the older employees are positively stereotypes regarding their age, they will be motivated and will carry out their assigned task appropriately. However, there are certain instances when the older employees may be motivated negatively. This issue will affect their performance because they will feel less motivated hence they will not engage actively in the duties that they have been assigned. According to Kirchner, Bock, & Volker (2017), unconscious priming may be appropriate within the work place because it may influence the workers to be productive. Some of the workers believe that they are old, therefore, they cannot undertake any duty that they have been assigned effectively (Kirchner, Bock & Volker 2017). Nonetheless, when the old employees are positively stereotyped they will improve the effort at work. One of the ways that the old employees can be stereotyped is selecting them to undertake prestigious roles at work. The second way that the older employees can be positively primed is through using these older people on posters which shows the success of the company. Collectively, these approach will make these individuals to go an extra mile and perform better in their duties.

Previous research has been done to show that the presence of relevant behavior or stereotypes groups features may result in trait concepts or stereotypes. There are certain behaviors that may be exhibited by different people (Bargh, Chen & Burrows 1996). Most of these behaviors are usually as a result of the attitude that these individuals have. Some of these behavior may result in gender stereotype which may result in age priming. According to Bargh, Chen & Burrows (1996), the presence of this issue will then affect the older people because they will develop a stereotype that they are old. Therefore, they will start behaving as old people through ways such as walking slowly when moving from one place to another (Bargh, Chen & Burrows, 1996). Some of the attitudes that are people develop which result in the stereotyping are due to social cognition. This element refers to the case whereby the individuals learn how to stereotype other people through interaction with their colleagues. In some cases, the issue of age priming is as a result of automatic behavior (Bargh, Chen & Burrows, 1996). Some people will just develop the idea of age stereo type without being influence by anybody. These individuals will reach a certain and they start stereotyping the older people negatively. In some case, automatic age priming may be positive.

Conclusion

In this literature review, there are different hypothesis that can be derived. One of these hypothesis is that age priming has a significant effect on the performance of an individual at the work place. When a person is negative primed, he or she will feel less motivated and will not be able to perform the duties that he or she has been assigned. However, when a person is positively primed because of the age, there is a high chance that the person will perform exemplary. The second hypothesis that can be identified from this literature review is that age priming affects the speed and cautiousness of an individual. When a person has been primed to be old, he or she will be affected and started behaving in a way that suggest old age. Therefore, this person will work at a reduced speed and will be cautious on the duties he or she is carrying out. On the other hand, when a person has been stereotyped as not to be old, he or she will exhibit the energy equivalent to that of a young person. As a result, this person will work at a higher speed. However, these individual will not be cautious since they are working at a higher speed.

References

Bargh, J. A., Chen, M., & Burrows, L. (1996). Automaticity of social behavior: Direct effects oftrait construct and stereotype activation on action. Journal of personality and socialpsychology, 71(2), 230. Retrieved from:https://psycnet.apa.org/doiLanding?doi=10.1037/0022-3514.71.2.230

Dioux, V., Brochard, R., Gabarrot, F., & Zagar, D. (2016). The Young and the Reckless: DoesPriming Age Stereotype in Young Adults Affect Speed or Cautiousness? SocialCognition, 34(4), 324-342. Retrieved from:https://guilfordjournals.com/doi/abs/10.1521/soco.2016.34.4.324

Doyen, S., Klein, O., Pichon, C. L., & Cleeremans, A. (2012). Behavioral priming: it's all in themind, but whose mind? PloS one, 7(1), e29081. Retrieved from:https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0029081

Kirchner, C., Bock, O. L., & Volker, I. (2017). The effects of priming with age stereotypes on aPC-based mail-sorting task. Ergonomics, 60(4), 512-517. Retrieved from:https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/00140139.2016.1182219

Leighton, J., Bird, G., Orsini, C., & Heyes, C. (2010). Social attitudes modulate automaticimitation. Journal of Experimental Social Psychology, 46(6), 905-910. Retrieved from:https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0022103110001526

Molden, D. C. (2014). Understanding priming effects in social psychology: What is "socialpriming" and how does it occur? Social Cognition, 32(Supplement), 1-11. Retrievedfrom: https://guilfordjournals.com/doi/abs/10.1521/soco.2014.32.supp.1