This research explores the duration of age stereotype priming effects on individuals’
will to live when faced with a medical terminal illness decision. Study 1 established
the content of the stereotype of the older age group in Portugal. Study 2 tested the
effects of priming positive or negative age stereotypes on older and younger individuals’
will to live, immediately after priming or after a delay. Results showed significant
effects of stereotype valence on older people’s will to live. As expected,
immediate and delayed will-to-live scores were both lower in the negative than in the
positive condition. In contrast, among younger people there were no significant
effects of stereotype valence. These findings demonstrate the robustness of these
types of unconscious influences on older people’s fundamental decisions
