Stereotype-based helplessness: Statement of the problem
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.21638/spbu16.2023.201Abstract
The work is devoted to the analysis of phenomena associated with the aging period: stereotypes about aging and learned helplessness. For several decades, modern society has been facing the problem of improving the quality of life of older people in the face of increasing life expectancy. The formation of aging strategies at earlier stages is considered as one of the most progressive approaches to improving the quality of life. However, the use of these strategies is mediated by both negative and positive factors. Our analysis shows that at the junction of two specific psychological phenomena — stereotypes about aging and learned helplessness, there may be another little-studied mechanism — stereotype-based helplessness. Our analysis showed that stereotypes about aging are widespread and have a variety of effects, including positive ones, however, the power of negative effects is several times higher than positive ones. In turn, learned helplessness is a mechanism when, based on his/her negative experience, a person stops trying to achieve any result. We suggested that the basis for such helplessness can be not only the direct experience acquired by a person, but also the stereotypes one has learned. The concept introduced by us has a high potential for both theoretical and practical applications. We believe that a decrease in activity caused by stereotype-based helplessness can cause accelerated processes of curtailment of mental functions during aging, as a result, the study of the mechanisms of stereotype-based helplessness will, on the one hand, expand our understanding of the mechanisms of aging, first of all, evaluate this mechanism as a risk factor for productive aging, on the other hand, understanding the psychological predictors of stereotype-based helplessness will help in the future to create practical techniques to reduce the risks of its manifestation.
Keywords:
aging, effective aging, stereotype-based helplessness, ageism, learned helplessness
Downloads
Download data is not yet available.
References
Литература
Стрижицкая О. Ю. Психология позитивного старения: условия, факторы и социальные эффекты геротрансцендентности: дис. … д-ра психол. наук. СПбГУ, СПб., 2018.
Стрижицкая О. Ю., Петраш М. Д. Конструирование продуктивной старости: биологические, психологические и средовые факторы // Консультативная психология и психотерапия. 2022. Т. 30, № 1. С. 8–28. https://doi.org/10.17759/cpp.2022300102
Циринг Д. А. Структура личностной беспомощности: постановка проблемы // Вестник Южно-Уральского государственного университета. 2005. № 15 (55). С. 176–180.
Шалагинова К. С., Декина Е. В., Куликова Т. И. Психолого-педагогические технологии работы с подростками по нивелированию проявлений выученной беспомощности // Психолого-педагогические исследования. 2020. Т. 12, № 2. С. 38–55. https://doi.org/10.17759/psyedu.2020120203
Abramson L., Seligman M., Teasdale J. Learned helplessness in humans: Critique and reformulation // Journal of Abnormal Psychology. 1978. No. 87 (1). P. 49–74.
Chopik W. J., Giasson H. L. Age differences in explicit and implicit age attitudes across the life span // The Gerontologist. 2017. No. 57. P. 169–177. https://doi.org/10.1093/geront/gnx058
Iversen T. N., Larsen L., Solem P. E. A conceptual analysis of ageism // Nord Psychology. 2009. No. 61 (3). P. 4–22. https://doi.org/10.1027/1901-2276.61.3.4
Kornadt A. E., Rothermund K. Internalization of age stereotypes into the self-concept via future self-views: A general model and domain-specific differences // Psychology & Aging. 2012. No. 27 (1). P. 164–172. https://doi.org/10.1037/a0025110
Landry N., Gifford R., Milfont T. L., Weeks A., Arnocky S. Learned helplessness moderates the relationship between environmental concern and behavior // Journal of Environmental Psychology. 2018. No. 55. P. 18–22. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jenvp.2017.12.003
Lee B., Agarwal S., Kim H. Influences of travel constraints on the people with disabilities’ intention to travel: An application of Seligman’s helplessness theory // Tourism Management. 2012. No. 33 (3). P. 569–579.
Levy B. R., Chang E.-S., Lowe S. R., Provolo N., Slade M. D. Impact of media-based negative and positive age stereotypes on older individuals’ mental health // Journals of Gerontology. Ser. B: Psychological Sciences & Social Sciences. 2022. No. 7 (4). P. 70–75. https://doi.org/10.1093/geronb/gbab085
Levy B. R, Pilver C., Chung P. H., Slade M. D. Subliminal strengthening: Improving older individuals’ physical function over time with an implicit-age-stereotype intervention // Psychological Science. 2014. No. 25 (12). P. 2127–2135. https://doi.org/10.1177/0956797614551970
Marques S., Mariano J., Mendonça J., De Tavernier W., Hess M., Naegele L., Peixeiro F., Martins D. Determinants of ageism against older adults: a systematic review // International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health. 2020. No. 17 (7). P. 2560. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph17072560
Meisner B. A. A meta-analysis of positive and negative age stereotype priming effects on behavior among older adults // Journals of Gerontology. Ser. B. Psychological Sciences & Social Sciences. 2012. No. 67B (1). P. 13–17. https://doi.org/10.1093/geronb/gbr062
Muneoka K., Oda Y., Iwata M., Iyo M., Hashimoto K., Shirayama Y. Monoaminergic balances predict non-depression-like phenotype in Learned Helplessness Paradigm // Neuroscience. 2020. No. 440. P. 290–298. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.neuroscience.2020.03.033
Söllner M., Dürnberger M., Keller J., Florack A. The impact of age stereotypes on well-being: Strategies of selection, optimization, and compensation as mediator and regulatory focus as moderator: Findings from a cross-sectional and a longitudinal study // Journal of Happiness Studies. 2022. No. 23 (2). P. 635–665. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10902-021-00417-x
Solomon R. C. True to our feelings: What our emotions are really telling us. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2008.
Thomae H. Patterns of Aging. Findings from the Bonn Logitudinal Study of Aging. Basel; New York: Kargel, 1976.
Trindade I. A., Mendes A. L., Ferreira N. B. The moderating effect of psychological flexibility on the link between learned helplessness and depression symptomatology: A preliminary study // Journal of Contextual Behavioral Science. 2020. No. 15. P. 68–72. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jcbs.2019.12.001
Weiss D., Kornadt A. E. Age-Stereotype internalization and dissociation: Contradictory processes or two sides of the same coin? // Current Directions in Psychological Science. 2018. No. 27 (6). P. 477–483. https://doi.org/10.1177/0963721418777743
Wurtele S. K., Maruyama L. Changing students’ stereotypes of older adults // Teaching of Psychology. 2013. No. 40 (1). P. 59–61. https://doi.org/10.1177/0098628312465867
References
Abramson, L., Seligman, M., Teasdale, J. (1978). Learned helplessness in humans: Critique and reformulation. Journal of Abnormal Psychology, 87 (1), 49–74.
Chopik, W. J., Giasson, H. L. (2017). Age differences in explicit and implicit age attitudes across the life span. The Gerontologist, 57, 169–177. https://doi.org/10.1093/geront/gnx058
Ciring, D. A. (2005). Structure of personality learned helplessness: shaping the problem. Vestnik Yuzhno-Ural’skogo gosudarstvennogo universiteta, 15 (55), 176–180. (In Russian)
Iversen, T. N., Larsen L., Solem, P. E. (2009). A conceptual analysis of ageism. Nord Psychology, 61 (3), 4–22. https://doi.org/10.1027/1901-2276.61.3.4
Kornadt, A. E, Rothermund, K. (2012). Internalization of age stereotypes into the self-concept via future self-views: A general model and domain-specific differences. Psychology & Aging, 27 (1), 164–172. https://doi.org/10.1037/a0025110
Landry, N., Gifford, R., Milfont, T. L., Weeks, A., Arnocky, S. (2018). Learned helplessness moderates the relationship between environmental concern and behavior. Journal of Environmental Psychology, 55, 18–22. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jenvp.2017.12.003
Lee, B., Agarwal, S., Kim, H. (2012). Influences of travel constraints on the people with disabilities’ intention to travel: An application of Seligman’s helplessness theory. Tourism Management, 33 (3), 569–579.
Levy, B. R, Chang, E.-S., Lowe, S. R., Provolo, N., Slade, M. D. (2022). Impact of media-based negative and positive age stereotypes on older individuals’ mental health. Journals of Gerontology. Ser. B: Psychological Sciences & Social Sciences, 7 (4), 70–75. https://doi.org/10.1093/geronb/gbab085
Levy, B. R., Pilver, C., Chung, P. H., Slade, M. D. (2014). Subliminal strengthening: improving older individuals’ physical function over time with an implicit-age-stereotype intervention. Psychological Science (0956–7976), 25 (12), 2127–2135. https://doi.org/10.1177/0956797614551970
Marques, S., Mariano, J., Mendonça, J., De Tavernier, W., Hess, M., Naegele, L., Peixeiro, F., Martins, D. (2020). Determinants of ageism against older adults: a systematic review. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 17 (7), 2560. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph17072560
Meisner, B. A. (2012). A meta-analysis of positive and negative age stereotype priming effects on behavior among older adults. Journals of Gerontology. Ser. B: Psychological Sciences & Social Sciences, 67B (1), 13–17. https://doi.org/10.1093/geronb/gbr062
Muneoka, K., Oda, Y., Iwata, M., Iyo, M., Hashimoto, K., Shirayama, Y. (2020). Monoaminergic balances predict non-depression-like phenotype in Learned Helplessness Paradigm. Neuroscience, 440, 290–298. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.neuroscience.2020.03.033
Shalaginova, K. S., Dekina, E. V., Kulikova, T. I. (2020). Psychological and pedagogical technologies of work with teenagers for decreasing manifestations of learned helplessness. Psikhologo-pedagogicheskie issledovaniia, 12, 2, 38–55. https://doi.org/10.17759/psyedu.2020120203 (In Russian)
Söllner, M., Dürnberger, M., Keller, J., Florack, A. (2022). The impact of age stereotypes on well-being: Strategies of selection, optimization, and compensation as mediator and regulatory focus as moderator: Findings from a cross-sectional and a longitudinal study. Journal of Happiness Studies, 23 (2), 635–665. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10902-021-00417-x
Solomon, R. C. (2008). True to our feelings: What our emotions are really telling us. Oxford, Oxford University Press.
Strizhitskaya, O. Y. (2018). Psychology of positive aging: predictors, factors and social effect of gerotranscendence. Doctoral dissertation, St Petersburg State University, St Petersburg. (In Russian)
Strizhitskaya, O. Y., Petrash, M. D. (2022). Construction of productive ageing: Biological, psychological and environmental factors. Counseling Psychology and Psychotherapy, 30, 1, 8–28. https://doi.org/10.17759/cpp.2022300102. (In Russian, аbstr. in English)
Thomae, H. (1976). Patterns of Aging. Findings from the Bonn Logitudinal Study of Aging. Basel, New York, Kargel.
Trindade, I. A., Mendes, A. L, Ferreira, N. B. (2020). The moderating effect of psychological flexibility on the link between learned helplessness and depression symptomatology: A preliminary study. Journal of Contextual Behavioral Science, 15, 68–72. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jcbs.2019.12.001
Weiss, D., Kornadt, A. E. (2018). Age-stereotype internalization and dissociation: contradictory processes or two sides of the same coin? Current Directions in Psychological Science, 27 (6), 477–483. https://doi.org/10.1177/0963721418777743
Wurtele, S. K., Maruyama, L. (2013). Changing students’ stereotypes of older adults. Teaching of Psychology, 40 (1), 59–61. https://doi.org/10.1177/0098628312465867
Downloads
Published
2023-06-02
How to Cite
Strizhitskaya, O., Petrash, M., Golubitskaya, D., & Kuzmina, M. (2023). Stereotype-based helplessness: Statement of the problem. Vestnik of Saint Petersburg University. Psychology, 13(2), 136–146. https://doi.org/10.21638/spbu16.2023.201
Issue
Section
Theory and Methodology of Psychology
License
Articles of "Vestnik of Saint Petersburg University. Psychology" are open access distributed under the terms of the License Agreement with Saint Petersburg State University, which permits to the authors unrestricted distribution and self-archiving free of charge.
