By internalizing negative stereotypes about older adults, a person may immediately dislike their new, older neighbor even before getting to know them. Harboring a stereotype about a group can lead to prejudice-an unjustifiable attitude towards someone based on their membership in the group. For example, older adults are believed to be weaker and less competent than younger adults.
One kind, stereotypes, are mental beliefs that are overgeneralized to the group. However, this process can result in unfavorable biases. As a result, one can quickly evaluate another person as a whole-as a construct of the group categorization. In a social setting, people may interact with others based on their most distinctive attribute, such as age, gender, or race.
