from University of Exeter
If people think that they are old and frail,
they will act like they’re old and frail. That
comment comes from one of the older
adults interviewed by British researchers
from the University of Exeter. They found
that older adults who categorize
themselves as old and frail encourage
behavioral confirmation of that identity.
The study was presented at the British
Psychological Society. The comment
described a cycle of decline whereby
perceiving oneself as frail was felt to lead
to disengaging in activities that could
reduce the likelihood of frailty, such as
physical exercise and, in turn, lead to
more health and functioning problems. In
other words, our attitude could lead to a
loss of interest in participating in social
and physical activities, poor health,
stigmatization and reduced quality of life.