诱发孤独刻板印象情境中老年人信任的特征及机制

doi:10.3724/SP.J.1041.2026.0887

摘要/Abstract

摘要： 近年来, 针对老年人的欺诈案件不断增多。部分诈骗分子利用刻板印象, 成功操纵了老年人的信任心理, 实施了诈骗行为。然而, 未有研究对刻板印象与老年人信任之间的关系进行系统探讨。基于此, 本文通过4个实验考察了孤独刻板印象与信任决策之间的关系及其内在机制。结果显示, 孤独刻板印象增加了老年人的信任水平(实验1)。相较于认知资源充足条件, 孤独刻板印象在认知资源不足时并未显著提高老年人的信任, 表明认知资源不足并非是孤独刻板印象影响信任的主要原因(实验2)。其次, 操纵动机的干预能够有效降低孤独刻板印象对信任的效应(实验3), 表明在孤独刻板印象对老年人信任的效应中, 追求情绪意义的动机可能发挥了重要作用。最后, 未来时间知觉在孤独刻板印象与信任的关系间起到中介作用, 进一步支持了社会情绪选择理论的预测, 表明孤独刻板印象引发了老年人的情绪动机转变, 从而促进信任水平的提升(实验4)。本研究拓展了对老年消极刻板印象内容及信任决策的相关研究, 为现实生活中减少老年人盲目信任问题提供了有意义的指导。

关键词: 老年人, 孤独刻板印象, 信任, 认知资源, 情绪动机

Abstract: In recent years, cases of fraud targeting older adults have been on the rise, with many scammers exploiting age-related stereotypes to manipulate their trust and successfully commit fraudulent acts. Among these stereotypes, loneliness stereotype—a pervasive and negative aging stereotype—may also influence older adults’ trust behaviors. However, researchers have yet to systematically examine the relationship between loneliness stereotypes and trust in older adults, as well as the underlying psychological mechanisms. Socioemotional selectivity theory and dynamic integration theory provide theoretical explanations for understanding the impact of aging stereotypes on trust and offer differing perspectives on the underlying mechanisms between the two aforementioned variables. The research gap is addressed by the present study by investigating the relationship between loneliness stereotypes and trust decision-making, as well as the underlying mechanisms involved.
This study consists of four experiments. Study 1 examines the impact of loneliness stereotypes on trust decision-making. A total of 108 older adults were randomly assigned to the loneliness stereotype activation group, the memory decline stereotype activation group, or the control group. The participants were instructed to read a paragraph of descriptive material before completing a trust game. Study 2 explores whether cognitive resources mediate the relationship between loneliness stereotypes and trust decision-making. A total of 102 older adults were randomly assigned to either the stereotype activation group or the control group. The participants were instructed to read the material as in Study 1 and complete an adapted facial trustworthiness evaluation task. The viewing time was manipulated at two levels (500 ms vs. 3000 ms). Study 3 investigates whether emotional motivation serves as the underlying mechanism in the relationship between loneliness stereotypes and trust decision-making. A total of 107 older adults were randomly assigned to one of four groups: stereotype activation-goal priming, stereotype activation-non-goal priming, general context-goal priming, or general context-non-goal priming. After reading the same material as in Study 1, the participants were asked to complete a lexical judgment task and an adapted trust game. Study 4 examines the mediating role of future time perspective. A total of 72 older adults were randomly assigned to the same groups as in Study 2. The participants were instructed to read the same material as in Study 1 and complete a measurement of future time perspective and a facial trustworthiness evaluation task.
The results show that, first, loneliness stereotypes increase the trust levels of older adults, whereas the memory decline stereotype did not significantly affect their trust (Study 1). Second, the effect of loneliness stereotypes on trust is moderated by cognitive resources. In particular, adequate cognitive resources amplify the impact of loneliness stereotypes on trust, indicating that insufficient cognitive resources are not the mechanism underlying the effect of loneliness stereotypes (Study 2). Third, unconscious goal priming, as an intervention that manipulates motivation, effectively reduces the impact of loneliness stereotypes on trust decision-making. In particular, after priming the unconscious goals of older adults, the influence of loneliness stereotypes on trust becomes nonsignificant (Study 3). Finally, future time perspective mediates the relationship between loneliness stereotypes and trust in older adults. This finding supports the idea that, for loneliness stereotypes, emotional motivation induced by a future time perspective increases the trust levels of individuals (Study 4). These findings suggest that in the relationship between loneliness stereotypes and trust, motivations related to emotional significance may play a more crucial role than other types of motivations.
This study offers several theoretical and practical contributions. First, this work focuses on the loneliness stereotype, a longstanding yet underexplored construct, and deepens the research on aging-related stereotypes. Second, this study examines the relationship between loneliness stereotypes and trust decision-making, as well as its mechanisms, to further explore how negative stereotypes about aging influence trust. This work also contributes to the fields of aging stereotypes, socioemotional selectivity theory, and dynamic integration theory. Finally, this research offers valuable insights into future tailored interventions aimed at reducing blind trust among older adults in real-world situations.

Key words: older adults, loneliness stereotype, trust, cognitive resources, emotional motivation

中图分类号:

B844.4

张宝山, 陈彦羽, 王梦泽. (2026). 诱发孤独刻板印象情境中老年人信任的特征及机制. 心理学报, 58(5), 887-902.

ZHANG Baoshan, CHEN Yanyu, WANG Mengze. (2026). Characteristics and mechanisms of trust in older adults in situations inducing loneliness stereotypes. Acta Psychologica Sinica, 58(5), 887-902.

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