The inner self of the Japanese elderly: a defense against negative stereotypes of aging.

Japanese scholars have reported that the Japanese people tend to maintain highly developed outer and inner selves. This study examines how these selves impact on aging. We hypothesized that the Japanese elderly would express more negative attitudes toward old people in general but more positive self-concepts than elders in China and the United States. The results supported this predicted pattern. They suggest an unusual dynamic of aging and self-identity in Japan that can shed light on the role of the self in accepting or rejecting societal stereotypes about aging.