Succession‚ Identity‚ and Consumption Scale of Prescriptive Ageism (SIC)

1. Abstract

The Succession, Identity, and Consumption Scale of Prescriptive Ageism (SIC) is a psychometric instrument developed by Susan T. Fiske and Michael S. North (2013b) designed to measure prescriptive ageist beliefs—specifically, normative beliefs regarding what older adults should or should not do across intergenerational boundaries. Unlike traditional descriptive measures that quantify generalized negative attitudes, stereotypes of incompetence, or affective age prejudice, the SIC scale operationalizes ageism through the lens of active intergenerational resource competition and boundary violations. The instrument comprises 20 items evaluated on a 6-point Likert scale (ranging from 1 = strongly disagree to 6 = strongly agree) across three theoretically derived and empirically validated dimensions: Succession (normative expectations that older adults should step aside, retire, and relinquish enviable political, corporate, and social positions to younger cohorts), Identity (prescriptive rules dictating that older adults must not encroach on youth-dominated cultural spheres, symbolic capital, attire, or social venues), and Consumption (expectations that older adults should limit their depletion of shared, scarce societal resources such as healthcare, governmental budgets, and family funds).

Across multiple validation cohorts comprising diverse adult, collegiate, and cross-cultural samples, the SIC scale has demonstrated robust psychometric properties. Internal consistency estimates have consistently revealed high total-scale reliability (α = .90 to .91), with subscale internal consistencies ranging from .84 to .85 for Succession, .83 to .87 for Identity, and .75 to .86 for Consumption. Confirmatory factor analyses (CFA) have verified the tripartite, correlated-factor latent structure over alternative unidimensional and orthogonal specifications. Construct validity is supported by significant convergent associations with traditional ageism indices, modern prejudice scales, and social dominance orientation, alongside divergent discriminant validity from generalized outgroup animus. The SIC scale serves as a critical diagnostic tool in social psychology, organizational behavior, geriatric research, and public policy, offering a framework for evaluating tensions in demographically shifting societies.

2. Keywords

prescriptive ageism, succession, identity, consumption, intergenerational tension, resource allocation, stereotype content model, psychometrics, North and Fiske, scale validation

3. Authors

The SIC scale was developed by Michael S. North and Susan T. Fiske at Princeton University.

• Michael S. North, Ph.D.: Assistant Professor of Management and Organizations at the Stern School of Business, New York University (formerly postdoctoral researcher at Columbia University and doctoral scholar at Princeton University). Institutional correspondence: [email protected] / [email protected].
• Susan T. Fiske, Ph.D.: Eugene Higgins Professor of Psychology and Professor of Public Affairs at Princeton University. Institutional correspondence: Department of Psychology, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ 08544. Email: [email protected].

4. Purpose

The primary purpose of the Succession, Identity, and Consumption Scale of Prescriptive Ageism is to identify and quantify prescriptive ageist attitudes that stem from perceived intergenerational friction. For decades, the dominant paradigm in gerontological and social psychological assessment focused primarily on descriptive ageism—that is, beliefs about what older adults supposedly are (e.g., forgetful, frail, slow, incompetent, or kind). Well-established instruments such as the Fraboni Scale of Ageism (FSA) or the Aging Semantic Differential primarily measure cognitive beliefs about traits or affective antipathy. However, descriptive models consistently fail to capture why younger individuals exhibit acute resentment, workplace discrimination, and interpersonal irritation toward older individuals who violate age-graded expectations.

North and Fiske (2012, 2013a) proposed that age-based prejudice is structurally unique: unlike race or gender, age is a fluid demographic category into which all individuals transition if they live long enough. Because cohorts continually cycle through societal strata, age relations are inherently structured around the transfer of power, wealth, prestige, and cultural domain spaces from an entrenched older generation to an ascending younger generation. Consequently, younger cohorts hold strict prescriptive norms detailing how older people ought to behave to maintain intergenerational equilibrium.

The SIC scale fulfills several specific research and applied needs:

• Workplace and Organizational Dynamics: Investigating age discrimination in promotion, succession planning, mandatory retirement policies, and organizational climate, particularly in knowledge-intensive and leadership contexts where older workers occupy scarce senior roles.
• Public Policy and Resource Distribution: Assessing public sentiments regarding social safety nets, entitlements, healthcare resource rationing during crises (e.g., pandemic triage protocols), and generational equity debates.
• Sociological and Interpersonal Assessment: Measuring boundary maintenance and social policing when older adults interact within traditionally youth-centric domains, such as digital social networks, fashion, music scenes, and recreation.
• Theoretical Advancement: Distinguishing the empirical predictors of passive pity versus active punitive reactions toward older individuals who do not relinquish status or step down gracefully.

5. Psychological Construct

The underlying construct operationalized by the instrument is Prescriptive Ageism. In social psychological taxonomy, descriptive stereotypes dictate subjective perceptions of reality (“older people are weak”), whereas prescriptive stereotypes serve as behavioral mandates enforced by normative sanctions (“older people should get out of the way”). When an individual violates a prescriptive stereotype, they encounter punitive reactions, contempt, and moralized social indignation. The SIC operationalizes prescriptive ageism across three distinct yet interdependent dimensions:

5.1. Succession (Active Relinquishment of Enviable Assets)

The Succession dimension assesses prescriptive beliefs that older adults have a moral obligation to step aside, retire from influential jobs, yield political offices, and forfeit social sway to make room for younger generations. Succession focuses directly on the distribution of zero-sum resources—enviable jobs, executive roles, tenured appointments, and governmental decision-making. When older adults maintain their positions into advanced age, younger cohorts may perceive them as obstructive gatekeepers stunting societal progression and denying younger people career advancement. Sample manifestations include assertions that promotions should systematically favor younger individuals over older workers of equal competence, that older political figures cling inappropriately to power, and that aging individuals should yield the floor to emerging generations.

5.2. Identity (Symbolic Boundary Maintenance and Youth Turf Protection)

The Identity subscale measures expectations that older adults must observe demographic boundaries by “acting their age” and refraining from entering youth-associated subcultures, symbolic markers, or behavioral patterns. This construct relies on social identity theory: youth identity is partly derived from shared subcultural expressions, linguistic conventions, musical subcultures, technology usage, and aesthetics. When older adults adopt these signifiers, younger individuals perceive an encroachment into their cultural space that blurs distinctions and dilutes the symbolic capital of youth. Items assessing Identity tap into prohibitions against older adults attempting to appear cool, frequenting youthful nightspots, adopting youth-oriented vernacular, or dressing in modern adolescent or young-adult apparel.

5.3. Consumption (Preservation of Scarce, Shared Collective Capital)

The Consumption dimension captures normative judgments that older adults should restrict their utilization of collective, taxpayer-funded, or family-level resources. Unlike Succession, which concerns enviable and competitive positions of power, Consumption relates to the depletion of public and private buffers that are seen as finite. This includes healthcare expenditures, municipal budgets, public transit accommodations, and inherited wealth. High scores on this subscale reflect resentment toward older adults for utilizing disproportionate amounts of specialized medical care, expecting financial or physical accommodation, or failing to liquidate and distribute assets to younger family members in financial need.

6. Theoretical Framework

The SIC scale is anchored within the confluence of several theoretical traditions in social cognition, intergroup relations, and evolutionary psychology.

6.1. The Stereotype Content Model (SCM) and BIAS Map

Under the Stereotype Content Model (Fiske, Cuddy, Glick, & Xu, 2002), older adults are descriptively stereotyped as high in warmth but low in competence—a combination that typically elicits pity, sympathy, and passive facilitation. However, North and Fiske (2012, 2013a) observed that this framework failed to explain instances of hostility, active sabotage, and resentment toward older targets. The prescriptive ageism framework resolves this theoretical gap: pity transforms into active anger and social policing whenever older adults refuse to comply with submissive, non-competitive societal expectations. When older adults demand structural power (violating Succession), consume massive social resources (violating Consumption), or claim youth cultural privileges (violating Identity), they are re-categorized as competitive outgroup members, shifting affective responses from paternalistic pity to active resentment.

6.2. Realistic Group Conflict Theory

According to Realistic Group Conflict Theory (Campbell, 1965), intergroup hostility arises when distinct groups compete over zero-sum, finite resources. In modern post-industrial economies characterized by prolonged life expectancies, demographic shifts toward aging populations, and structural bottlenecks in career advancement, younger cohorts experience tangible scarcity. The SIC scale operationalizes this friction by examining how younger generations view their socioeconomic difficulties not as systemic structural failures, but as the direct outcome of an aging cohort holding on to power and financial security.

6.3. Social Identity and Terror Management Dynamics

In addition to material resource competition, the Identity dimension aligns with Social Identity Theory (Tajfel & Turner, 1979). Younger individuals derive self-esteem, in-group distinctiveness, and social standing from generational markers (e.g., musical preferences, tech fluency, fashion). Boundary violations threaten this distinctiveness. Furthermore, Terror Management Theory (Greenberg et al., 1986) posits that older adults serve as visceral reminders of human mortality and decay. When older individuals inhabit youth-centric spaces, young people cannot use age segregation to buffer against mortality-related anxiety, provoking compensatory boundary-reinforcing behaviors.

7. Validity

Extensive psychometric investigations conducted by North and Fiske (2013b) across multiple independent samples—including collegiate undergraduates, nationally representative adult samples recruited via Amazon Mechanical Turk (MTurk), and international cohorts—provide broad support for the validity of the SIC scale.

7.1. Construct and Factorial Validity

Confirmatory factor analysis has demonstrated that a three-factor correlated model provides a superior fit to empirical data compared to alternative models. In structural equation modeling, each latent factor (Succession, Identity, Consumption) captures distinct variance while remaining moderately inter-correlated (inter-factor correlations typically range between r = .40 and r = .68), demonstrating that they represent distinct facets of a unified overarching construct of prescriptive ageism.

7.2. Convergent Validity

The SIC subscales show expected positive correlations with established indices of descriptive ageism and broader intergroup bias, including:

• Fraboni Scale of Ageism (FSA): Moderate positive correlations (r ≈ .35 to .52), indicating that while individuals endorsing prescriptive ageism frequently hold negative affective attitudes toward aging, the SIC explains unique variance beyond simple dislike.
• Modern Ageism Scale: Statistically significant correlations (r ≈ .40 to .58) with beliefs denying the existence of age discrimination, showing that prescriptive ageism co-occurs with institutional denial.
• Social Dominance Orientation (SDO): Positive associations (r ≈ .25 to .42), demonstrating that individuals who favor group-based hierarchies also tend to support demographic stratification that disenfranchises non-working-age cohorts.
• Modern Racism and Sexism Scales: Low-to-moderate correlations (r ≈ .18 to .30), confirming that prescriptive ageism shares common ground with general ideological intolerance while remaining distinct from other outgroup biases.

7.3. Discriminant Validity

Discriminant validity was established through low correlations with social desirability measures (e.g., Marlowe-Crowne Social Desirability Scale, r < -.15), confirming that respondents report prescriptive ageist attitudes with minimal impression-management suppression. Furthermore, multi-trait multi-method matrices verified that the SIC scale successfully differentiates prescriptive norms from pure descriptive trait ratings of older adults (such as the Warmth and Competence subscales of the SCM), indicating that prescriptive expectations do not simply reflect low perceived competence.

7.4. Predictive and Criterion Validity

Experimental studies validate that the SIC scale predicts actual discriminatory decision-making and social sanctions. High scores on the Succession subscale predict support for mandatory retirement policies, decisions to withhold promotions from older candidates in favor of younger applicants with identical qualifications, and voting against older political candidates. High scores on the Consumption subscale predict support for healthcare rationing and resource redirection away from geriatric wards during crises. Scores on the Identity subscale predict behavioral avoidance and social policing of older adults in recreational contexts.

8. Reliability

The psychometric reliability of the SIC scale has been evaluated across exploratory, confirmatory, and cross-cultural samples.

8.1. Internal Consistency

Across the four primary validation samples reported by North and Fiske (2013b), the total 20-item scale demonstrated high internal consistency, with Cronbach’s alpha coefficients ranging between .90 and .91. Across these diverse samples, the subscale alphas remained consistently robust:

• Succession Subscale: Cronbach’s α = .84 to .85
• Identity Subscale: Cronbach’s α = .83 to .87
• Consumption Subscale: Cronbach’s α = .75 to .86

Cross-cultural testing on South Asian populations (e.g., Indian adult respondents; North & Fiske, 2013b) yielded consistent subscale alphas ranging from .80 to .86, confirming the cross-cultural generalizability of the instrument’s internal structure.

8.2. Test-Retest Reliability

In longitudinal and multi-wave test-retest assessments over intervals spanning four to six weeks, the SIC demonstrated temporal stability. The total scale yielded a test-retest correlation coefficient of r = .82 (p < .001). Subscale test-retest coefficients were similarly stable: Succession (r = .80), Identity (r = .78), and Consumption (r = .74), demonstrating that prescriptive ageist orientations reflect stable sociocognitive frameworks rather than fleeting situational attitudes.

9. Factor Analysis

During initial instrument development, an exploratory pool of candidate items derived from qualitative interviews, focus groups, and intergenerational tension literature was subjected to Exploratory Factor Analysis (EFA) using principal axis factoring with promax (oblique) rotation. The scree plot, parallel analysis, and eigenvalues consistently pointed to a stable three-factor solution that accounted for roughly 48% to 54% of the total variance across development samples.

9.1. Confirmatory Factor Analysis (CFA)

To verify this underlying structure, Confirmatory Factor Analysis was executed on cross-validation samples. Goodness-of-fit was assessed using standard structural equation modeling indices:

• Comparative Fit Index (CFI): .92 to .95 (exceeding the standard > .90 threshold)
• Tucker-Lewis Index (TLI): .91 to .94
• Root Mean Square Error of Approximation (RMSEA): .048 to .062 (with 90% confidence intervals staying below .08)
• Standardized Root Mean Square Residual (SRMR): .042 to .055

The three-factor correlated model outperformed both a unidimensional model (χ² difference tests indicated significant deterioration in fit: Δχ²(3) > 420.0, p < .001) and a three-factor orthogonal model. Item factor loadings on their designated latent constructs were uniformly strong, typically ranging from λ = .52 to λ = .82, with negligible cross-loadings. Minor error covariances were specified between similarly phrased or theoretically overlapping item pairs (e.g., items explicitly targeting retirement or driving ability within the Succession dimension) to achieve optimal model fit.

10. Instrument / Measurement Tool

• Instrument Name: Succession, Identity, and Consumption Scale of Prescriptive Ageism (SIC)
• Primary Authors: Michael S. North, Ph.D., and Susan T. Fiske, Ph.D.
• Year of Development: 2013
• Construct Assessed: Prescriptive ageism reflecting intergenerational resource competition and cultural boundary policing
• Item Count: 20 items
• Subscale Architecture:
  • Succession: Items 1 through 8 (focused on the turnover of jobs, authority, and political influence)
  • Identity: Items 9 through 14 (focused on lifestyle boundaries, cultural participation, and youth markers)
  • Consumption: Items 15 through 20 (focused on shared societal and family resources, healthcare, and finance)
• Response Format: 6-point Likert scale (1 = strongly disagree, 2 = disagree, 3 = disagree slightly, 4 = agree slightly, 5 = agree, 6 = agree strongly)
• Scoring Protocol: All 20 items are framed in a direct prescriptive direction. Individual subscale scores are computed by calculating the arithmetic mean of the respective items (range 1.0 to 6.0). A composite Prescriptive Ageism index can be generated by averaging all 20 items. Higher scores reflect stronger prescriptive ageist beliefs and greater intergenerational resentment.

11. Permissions & Fee and Test Year

The Succession, Identity, and Consumption Scale of Prescriptive Ageism was published in 2013 in the American Psychological Association journal Psychological Assessment. The copyright is held by the authors, Michael S. North and Susan T. Fiske.

The instrument is freely accessible for non-commercial, academic, scientific, and educational research purposes without formal licensing fees, provided that appropriate scholarly attribution and standard APA bibliographic citations are maintained. Any commercial use, proprietary deployment, or corporate diagnostic application requires direct written authorization and formal licensing clearance from the authors.

12. References

• Campbell, D. T. (1965). Ethnocentric and other altruistic motives. In D. Levine (Ed.), Nebraska symposium on motivation (Vol. 13, pp. 283–311). University of Nebraska Press.
• Fiske, S. T., Cuddy, A. J., Glick, P., & Xu, J. (2002). A model of (often mixed) stereotype content: Competence and warmth respectively follow from perceived status and competition. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 82(6), 878–902. https://doi.org/10.1037/0022-3514.82.6.878
• Fraboni, M., Saltstone, R., & Hughes, S. (1990). The Fraboni Scale of Ageism (FSA): An attempt at a more precise measure of ageism. Canadian Journal on Aging / La Revue canadienne du vieillissement, 9(1), 56–66. https://doi.org/10.1017/S0714980800016024
• Greenberg, J., Pyszczynski, T., & Solomon, S. (1986). The causes and consequences of a need for self-esteem: A terror management theory. In R. F. Baumeister (Ed.), Public self and private self (pp. 189–212). Springer. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4613-9469-3_7
• North, M. S., & Fiske, S. T. (2012). An inconvenienced youth? Ageism and its potential intergenerational roots. Psychological Bulletin, 138(5), 982–997. https://doi.org/10.1037/a0027843
• North, M. S., & Fiske, S. T. (2013a). Act your (old) age: Prescriptive, ageist biases over Succession, Consumption, and Identity. Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin, 39(6), 720–734. https://doi.org/10.1177/0146167213480043
• North, M. S., & Fiske, S. T. (2013b). A prescriptive, intergenerational-tension ageism scale: Succession, Identity, and Consumption. Psychological Assessment, 25(3), 706–713. https://doi.org/10.1037/a0032367
• Tajfel, H., & Turner, J. C. (1979). An integrative theory of intergroup conflict. In W. G. Austin & S. Worchel (Eds.), The social psychology of intergroup relations (pp. 33–47). Brooks/Cole.

13. Items of the Scale (Questionnaire)