Describe what is meant by the “double standard of aging.” Discuss the evidence for and/or against it. Do men and women each face unique double standards of aging? If so, why?

Question

What will be an ideal response?

Answer 1

The “double standard of aging’ refers to the idea that women’s social value tends to decline with age as their beauty and sexual appeal fades, while men’s value increases with age as their life experience and social status increase. Students’ response should include some evidence that is consistent with this idea. For example, women are perceived to be “old” at a younger age than men are, and evaluations of women’s likability decrease more with age than they do for men. Self-reports also reveal that women tend to view aging as having a more negative impact on their appearance than men do; women report feeling more invisible as their youth fades whereas men report feeling a more distinguished appearance. Students’ responses should also include evidence that is inconsistent with the double standard of aging. For example, evaluations of men’s competence decline more with age than do evaluations of women’s competence, and men express concerns for their declining physical health. This suggests that double standards of aging may affect both women and men in domains that are especially relevant to their gender roles: likability and appearance for women, and competence for men.