Gray Hairs and Rocking Chairs: 

Exploring Our Own Age-Related 

Biases

Erin Yelland, PhD, CFLE
What words come to mind when you 

think about ‘age, aging, or old’?
This Afternoon’s Roadmap

• What are unconscious biases?

• How do they influence us?

• Where do you stand?

• Explore how you can grow
Unconscious/Implicit Biases

• Unconscious biases are social

stereotypes that occur outside of your own

conscious awareness
BIAS

“Age, Aging, and Old” words BLACK MEN VIOLENT

ISLAMIC TERRORIST

FAT LAZY

POOR WELFARE

DIFFERENTY ABLED INCAPABLE/WEAK

OLD ?
Unconscious/Implicit Biases Continued

• Unconscious biases are social

stereotypes that occur outside of your own

conscious awareness

• Everyone holds unconscious beliefs
BLIND SPOT 

BIAS
Unconscious/Implicit Biases Continued 2

• Unconscious biases are social

stereotypes that occur outside of your own

conscious awareness

• Everyone holds unconscious beliefs

• Unconscious biases > Conscious biases
Unconscious biases

Conscious biases or 

intentional actions
Unconscious/Implicit Biases Continued 3

• Unconscious biases are social 

stereotypes that occur outside of your own 

conscious awareness

• Everyone holds unconscious beliefs

• Unconscious biases > Conscious biases 

• Often incompatible with conscious values
IMPLICIT BIAS OUTWARD ACTIONS
BIAS BAD
INTERALIZED 

AGEISM

“I’m too old for that.”

“Take me out back and 

shoot me!”

“I don’t want to live in a nursing 

home. That’s for old people!”

“I’m too old to have sex!”

“I’m going to die anyways, 

might as well smoke my 

cigarettes!”

“I’m not going to senior center 

with all of those old people!”
INTERALIZED 

AGEISM

Lower life expectancy

High blood pressure

Reduced self-esteem

Reduced motivation
Unconscious/Implicit Biases Continued 4

• Unconscious biases are social 

stereotypes that occur outside of your own 

conscious awareness

• Everyone holds unconscious beliefs

• Unconscious biases > Conscious biases 

• Often incompatible with conscious values

So, what’s the next step?
Addressing Your Biases

• Spy on yourself

– What I did vs. what I wanted to do – call yourself

out!

– Triggers

– Slow down!
Addressing Your Biases Continued

• Spy on yourself

– What I did vs. what I wanted to do – call yourself 

out!

– Triggers

– Slow down!

• Be purposeful and get uncomfortable
Addressing Your Biases Continued 2

• Spy on yourself

– What I did vs. what I wanted to do – call yourself 

out!

– Triggers

– Slow down!

• Be purposeful and get uncomfortable

• Develop a vision

– What would the world look like without ageism?

– Practice that vision
Addressing Your Biases Continued 3

• Spy on yourself

– What I did vs. what I wanted to do – call yourself out!

– Triggers

– Slow down!

• Be purposeful and get uncomfortable

• Develop a vision

– What would the world look like without ageism?

– Practice that vision

• It’s okay to mess up!
How will you move forward?
Thank You

This project was supported in part by grant number 90PPNU0002-01-00 from the U.S. Administration for Community Living, 

Department of Health and Human Services, Washington, D.C. 20201. Grantees undertaking projects with government 

sponsorship are encouraged to express freely their findings and conclusions. Points of view or opinions do not, therefore, 

necessarily represent official ACL policy.