Ageism is a complex clinical, psychological, and social phenomenon. In Russian practice, there is a shortage of diagnostic tools aimed at clarifying this phenomenon. Most often, these tools address stereotypes about old age, or ask older adults whether they experience ageism in their lives. The conceptual model of our study is based on the idea that ageism is associated with stereotypes regarding the normative age for a particular event, skill, or phenomenon. We developed a questionnaire with the working title: "Normal Age for..." In it, we asked respondents what age they considered "normal" for marriage, entering university, and changing their image. We also collected sociodemographic data and administered two psychological questionnaires: the Purpose-in-Life Test (Russian adaptation by D.A. Leontiev) and the short Big Five Questionnaire. A pool of life goals with the lowest and highest thresholds was identified. The connections between age stereotypes and psychological and socio-demographic characteristics were also explored. For example, people with low levels of openness to new experiences cite 18 as the minimum age for retirement. This study is an important contribution to understanding the phenomenon of ageism. This phenomenon is viewed not simply as a monolithic entity, but as a complex and highly flexible reflection of people's own perceptions of what age is appropriate for what life plan.

Irina Aleksandrovna Izyumova, Сandidate of psychological sciences, Senior Lecturer at the Department of General and Developmental Psychology at the Institute of Clinical and Developmental Psychology at the Pirogov Russian National Research Medical University.

Co-Author

Izyumov Andrei Dmitrievich Candidate of Medical Sciences, Junior Researcher at the Laboratory of General Geriatrics, Geriatrician at the Russian Gerontological Scientific and Clinical Center.