Older adults have lived through many social changes related to sex, sexuality, and gender identity. As they grow older, their views may become more flexible and less rigid, but this is not always the case. To understand why some people are able to revise deeply held beliefs about these topics, researchers need to consider how cognitive abilities change with age and what factors influence them.
Cognitive ability refers to mental processing that allows us to learn new things, remember information, solve problems, and make decisions. This includes memory, attention, language comprehension, reasoning, and judgment. With aging, several cognitive abilities tend to decline, including verbal memory and fluid intelligence, which involves solving novel problems and thinking abstractly.
Crystallized intelligence tends to increase, meaning older adults can access knowledge from long-term memories more easily.
Older adults also experience declines in executive function, which involves planning, organizing, prioritizing, monitoring, and decision-making. These skills allow us to control impulses and regulate behavior. Changes in these functions affect moral development, as we rely on self-regulation when forming moral judgments. Age-related losses in working memory may make it harder for older adults to hold multiple pieces of information in mind while making moral choices.
Age-related changes in emotion regulation may affect morality too. Older adults may feel negative emotions (e.g., sadness, anxiety) more intensely than younger adults, leading to reduced well-being and health issues. They may also have trouble expressing positive emotions, such as happiness or excitement. These changes may lead older adults to reconsider their views about sexuality and gender identity, as they become aware of the effects of their beliefs on themselves and others.
Sociocultural factors also play a role. As people age, they are exposed to different experiences, ideas, and relationships that shape their moral values.
Older adults who have had LGBTQ+ friends or family members may be more likely to revise their beliefs about sex and gender. Religious and cultural backgrounds influence how people form and change beliefs about morality.
Cognitive, emotional, and sociocultural factors interact to shape moral development throughout life. As older adults grow, they may challenge their beliefs about sexuality and gender identity, but not all will do so. Researchers need to understand these processes to improve support for older adults who seek to revise their beliefs and promote social justice.
What psychological processes enable older adults to revise deeply ingrained moral beliefs about sexuality and gender identity?
Psychologists argue that there are several mechanisms through which older adults can revise their deep-rooted moral beliefs regarding sexuality and gender identity. These include increased cognitive flexibility, decreased salience of societal norms and values, greater self-awareness, and exposure to new experiences. Firstly, cognitive flexibility refers to an individual's ability to adapt to changing situations and perspectives.