Brain atrophy in elderly leads to unintended racism

[jenkinsdakota]

It looks like there may be a scientific explanation for racist old people. Apparently as the brain ages people become more prejudiced while in more youthful and healthier brains they are not. This explanation for why some people are racist seems quite ageist.

Brain atrophy in elderly leads to unintended racism, depression, and problem gambling

As we age, our brains slowly shrink in volume and weight. This includes significant atrophy within the frontal lobes, the seat of executive functioning. Executive functions include planning, controlling, and inhibiting thought and behavior. In the aging population, an inability to inhibit unwanted thoughts and behavior causes several social behaviors and cognitions to go awry.

In a study appearing in the October issue of Current Directions in Psychological Science, University of Queensland psychologist, Bill von Hippel, reports that decreased inhibitory ability in late adulthood can lead to unintended prejudice, social inappropriateness, depression, and gambling problems.

Regarding prejudice, von Hippel and colleagues found that older white adults showed greater stereotyping toward African Americans than younger white adults did, despite being more motivated to control their prejudices. Von Hippel suggests that “because prejudice toward African Americans conflicts with prevailing egalitarian beliefs, older adults attempt to inhibit their racist feelings, but fail.”

Continued at http://www.psychologicalscience.org/.../vonhippel.cfm

[sockstealingpoltergeist]

I just have to say how sad- and how sad that any one would ever ever feel that way. No matter what science says I believe it is ignorance.

[menatwork]

Perhaps this gives me the answer to the awry behavior of my mother-in-law towards me. This also emphasizes the problem is not only limited to the racism as has been said here but due to the inability of the brain to process the actual things there is an impact in how aged people behave with others too. For no reason they can get agitated and also develop an unnecessary bias towards someone. The situation is not easy to cope with though.