期刊名称：International Journal of Psychology and Behavioral Sciences
印刷版ISSN：2163-1948
电子版ISSN：2163-1956
出版年度：2013
卷号：3
期号：6
页码：168-177
DOI：10.5923/j.ijpbs.20130306.05
语种：English
出版社：Scientific & Academic Publishing Co.
摘要：Previous research has shown that across different life domains, people tend to rate the problems of other people their age as more severe than their own. This process, termed social downgrading, is particularly pronounced among older adults. The purpose of the present investigation was to explore the putative self-protective effects of social downgrading among community-dwelling adults, ranging in age from 40 through 99 years old, with an emphasis on comparisons between European American and African American individuals. The results were consistent to those of Heckhausen and Brim, suggesting that older adults perceive the problems of others as more severe than problems they experience in their personal life. In addition, although the “self vs. other” pattern persisted across racial lines, rated severity as a function of race was observed. The results within the context of health, race, and income are discussed.
