We give an overview of what age stereotypes (AS) are, how they are acquired and change across the lifespan, and how they shape development in old age. AS reflect complex beliefs and expectations that vary on the following dimensions: They differ in content and valence, depending on the life-domain to which they are applied (context), they refer to different age-groups (reference), to older people or to oneself as an old person (direction of relevance), and they either describe how older people are or prescribe how they should be (modality). AS are acquired early, and later taint beliefs about one's own aging (internalization). Once they are part of the self-concept, AS act as self-fulfilling prophecies that shape the actual aging process (stereotype embodiment).

我们概述了什么是年龄刻板印象（AS）、它们如何在一生中获得和变化，以及它们如何影响晚年的发展。AS 反映了复杂的信念和期望，这些信念和期望在以下方面有所不同：它们的内容和效价有所不同，具体取决于它们所应用的生活领域（背景），它们涉及不同的年龄组（参考），老年人或老年人对自己作为一个老年人（相关方向），他们要么描述老年人如何，要么规定他们应该如何（模态）。AS 是早期获得的，后来污染了关于自己衰老的信念（内化）。一旦它们成为自我概念的一部分，AS就会充当自我实现的预言，塑造实际的衰老过程（刻板印象的体现）。