Only as old as we think we are.

The study, led by Professor Julie Henry from University of Queensland’s School of Psychology, looked at why self-directed ageism is common.

“Older people are regularly exposed to ageism such as negative assumptions about their worth, capacity or level of understanding, as well as jokes about older age,” Professor Henry said.

“At the same time, as we grow older, we rely more strongly on prior knowledge and cues from our environment to guide how we feel, think and behave.

“In a world that devalues ageing, these cognitive changes make it more difficult for older people to challenge internalised ageist beliefs, known as self-directed ageism.”