Stereotypes create a significant problem for older people, according to a recent study.

Researchers at the University of Kent's School of Psychology concluded that older adults' memory and cognitive performance is negatively affected in situations that signal or remind them of negative age stereotypes. These effects affect both men and women.

For the study, researchers statistically analyzed international evidence from 37 research studies, both published and unpublished.

They further found that older people's cognitive performance suffers more when the threat is induced by stereotypes rather than by facts.

Researcher Ruth Lamont said that the study evidence highlighted that even 'subtle differences' in the way people behave toward older people -- such as being patronizing or speaking slowly - could be enough to make them underperform when others are testing their abilities, either formally or informally.

Researchers have previously concluded that stereotype threat affects the major social categories of gender and ethnicity, but this new meta-analysis, which looked at evidence from over a decade of research, highlights the need to be just as concerned about age stereotypes, Ruth Lamont suggested.

The research team further concludes that the vulnerability of some older adults to ABST when they perform memory, cognitive or physical tasks has important social, economic and clinical implications which will become more relevant given an increasingly aging population and workforce.

The findings are detailed in the journal Psychology and Ageing.