What You Expect is What You Get

“Expectation equals outcome.” You might hear that from an earnest motivational coach or a speaker at a convention for budding entrepreneurs.

But what if “expectation equals outcome” was the true narrative of aging?

What if expecting physical, cognitive and/or creative decline as we age caused – or was at least a cause – of said decline? Well, folks, there’s no “what if” about it.

We are awash in negative stereotypes (aka expectations) about what aging means, from loss of vigor to loss of memory, from slower metabolisms to weaker immune systems, from creakiness to crankiness. Those in our culture who don’t conform – think Betty White (in her 90s) or Warren Buffet (80s) – are heralded as astonishing outliners. Instead of their energy and vitality challenging the stereotype, they are presented as the exception that proves the rule, thus further legitimizing the stereotype.

In test after test, negative stereotypes have been shown to lead to poor health results. During the past two decades, dozens of studies from psychologists, medical doctors and neuroscientists have shown that older people with more negative views of aging are in poorer health (and die younger) than those who don’t buy into the stereotypes. Here’s a summary of one highly credible study linking negative stereotypes to cardiovascular disease.

This ties in directly with what I wrote about last week: the power of optimism/ pessimism. Those who expect decline (those who assimilate all the frail/ dependent/that’s-it-for-you messages about what aging means) are pessimists who lack self-efficacy. They don’t see that they can have an effect on how – and how quickly – they age. They figure they are “victims” of the aging process. And so they are.

Now there’s a new Yale/ Berkeley study on the power of positive age stereotypes to lead to improved outcome. The study involved 100 older people (61-99 with an average age of 81) randomly divided into groups that heard a series (4 at 1-week internals) of implicit positive messages, explicit positive messages, a combination of both, or no messages.

The implicit intervention strengthened positive age stereotypes…which strengthened positive self-perceptions of aging…which, in turn, improved physical function. This is, dear readers, without any changes in diet, exercise, sleep patterns, health care or further interventions of any kind.

Join me as I shout: WOW.

Now join me as we reject our culture’s sick and erroneous attitudes toward aging. And join me as we take power over our own health, wellness and well-being.