World of Psychology

Older People Less Tactful, Research Shows

By John M. Grohol, PsyD
Founder & Editor-in-Chief

Older People Less Tactful, Research Shows

Ever been embarrassed by questions in public about your leaky bladder, haemorrhoids or erectile dysfunction? If the questions came from an elderly person, then age-related changes in brain function may explain the lack of tact, according to a new Australian study published in the journal of Psychology and Ageing.

Tests carried out by researchers at the University of NSW found people aged 65 to 93 were more likely to ask each other personal questions in public than people aged 18 to 25.

But older people agreed with younger generations that making such public inquiries like asking someone about their haemorrhoids was inappropriate, the study found.


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    Last reviewed: By John M. Grohol, Psy.D. on 14 Sep 2005
    Published on PsychCentral.com. All rights reserved.

APA Reference
Grohol, J. (2005). Older People Less Tactful, Research Shows. Psych Central. Retrieved on May 25, 2012, from http://psychcentral.com/blog/archives/2005/09/14/older-people-less-tactful-research-shows/

 

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