Workplace Age Stereotypes Across Gender Groups and Gender Stereotypes Across Age Groups: Similarities and Discrepancies

Although the content of workplace age and gender stereotypes have been examined extensively, each is rarely considered in light of the other. This leaves us with limited knowledge of whether age stereotypes are similar across genders and whether gender stereotypes are consistent across the lifespan. In the present paper, the content of stereotypes at the intersection of age and gender is explored. Across two qualitative studies, 374 early-career participants provided their beliefs of a target, prompted with either age (Study 1) or gender (Study 2). Open-ended questions and qualitative coding were utilized to explore whether common older worker stereotypes were consistent with stereotypes about older men workers and older women workers and whether common stereotypes about men and women held in equal measure for older and younger targets. Further, comparisons were made across studies to see if two of the same targets (older man worker and older woman worker) would be ascribed different traits depending on which type of stereotype was prompted, i.e., gender or age. Some of the emergent patterns pointed toward a closer similarity of older worker stereotypes to older man stereotypes, gender stereotypes more closely aligned with younger workers, and more disparity in judgments of an older woman when age, rather than gender, was prompted. Also emerging was a tendency toward older men and younger women being viewed in a more positive light. Findings are considered in light of developments in stereotyping research and suggestions for extending this line of work and applying it to workplace practices are put forth.