Age Effects on Trustworthiness Activation and Trust Biases in Face Perception

Brittany S Cassidy, Kathryn L Boucher, Shelby T LanieBS and Anne C Krendl

The Journals of Gerontology: Series B, 2019, vol. 74, issue 1, 87-92

Abstract: ObjectiveOlder adults evaluate faces as being more trustworthy than do younger adults. The present work examined whether aging is associated with changes in the dynamic activation of trustworthiness categories toward faces, and if category activation relates to enhanced trust. MethodYounger and older adults categorized faces as trustworthy or untrustworthy while computer mouse trajectories were recorded to measure dynamic category activation. Results Older, but not younger, adults had more dynamic category activation (i.e., trustworthy and untrustworthy) when they viewed untrustworthy versus trustworthy faces. This tendency predicted a bias (pronounced with age) toward evaluating faces as being trustworthy. Discussion A pronounced trust bias in aging may be related to greater dynamic activation of trustworthiness (vs untrustworthiness) when perceiving faces.

Keywords: Categorization; Face perception; Impression formation; Trustworthiness (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2019
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The Journals of Gerontology: Series B is currently edited by Psychological Sciences - S. Duke Han, PhD and Social Sciences - Jessica A Kelley, PhD, FGSA

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