Why Are Elderly More Prone to Scams
- 11 years ago
Find out why the elderly are more prone to scams.
Are elderly people more likely to fall for a con artist’s scam?
Shelley Taylor, a psychology professor from the University of California - Los Angeles is trying to figure out why the elderly population is more susceptible to fraud.
Her research team conducted two studies; the first involved showing pictures of different people to a group of subjects from age 55 to 84, and a group of subjects in their 20s.
The older test subjects reportedly disagreed with the younger group about which of the people in the pictures looked untrustworthy.
The second study involved the same test, only this time the subjects were attached to an fMRI machine that measures brain activity.
Taylor and her team found that the way an elderly person’s brain reacts to pictures of people’s faces is different than a younger adult’s brain, particularly when the subject sensed that the person in the picture is untrustworthy.
Other studies have also shown a correlation between brain function, age, and gullibility.
Research from the University of Iowa, (2,2,1) shows that the part of our brain that corresponds with feelings of doubt or belief deteriorates with age and can cause older people to be more trusting.
Do you think that elderly people are more likely to be scammed? Why or why not?
Are elderly people more likely to fall for a con artist’s scam?
Shelley Taylor, a psychology professor from the University of California - Los Angeles is trying to figure out why the elderly population is more susceptible to fraud.
Her research team conducted two studies; the first involved showing pictures of different people to a group of subjects from age 55 to 84, and a group of subjects in their 20s.
The older test subjects reportedly disagreed with the younger group about which of the people in the pictures looked untrustworthy.
The second study involved the same test, only this time the subjects were attached to an fMRI machine that measures brain activity.
Taylor and her team found that the way an elderly person’s brain reacts to pictures of people’s faces is different than a younger adult’s brain, particularly when the subject sensed that the person in the picture is untrustworthy.
Other studies have also shown a correlation between brain function, age, and gullibility.
Research from the University of Iowa, (2,2,1) shows that the part of our brain that corresponds with feelings of doubt or belief deteriorates with age and can cause older people to be more trusting.
Do you think that elderly people are more likely to be scammed? Why or why not?