Learning about a heightened genetic risk for dementia: Expected stigma is greater than experienced stigma.
Abstract
carrier experiential group. The largest expectation-experience gaps concerned competence and social belonging. These findings suggest that older adults overestimate the social consequences of learning they are at genetic risk for AD. Theoretically, the results add to our understanding of the disability paradox, which refers to outsiders predicting worse life outcomes for people with chronic conditions than those individuals report themselves. Our findings show similar mispredictions occur even in the absence of symptoms. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2026 APA, all rights reserved).
Fields of Study & Subjects
Mental Health Treatment and Access
BRCA gene mutations in cancer
Dementia and Cognitive Impairment Research
Publication details
- Journal / source
- Psychology and Aging
- Publisher
- American Psychological Association (APA)
- Volume
- 41
- Issue
- 5
- Pages
- 613–625
- Publication date
- 23 February 2026
- Language
- EN