The present study examined time-related change in felt age, physical age, and satisfaction with aging in old age and covariates of this change.
Using 6-year-longitudinal data from the Berlin Aging Study (age range = 70-104 years), we found that individuals' felt age remained on average about 13 years below their actual age over time, whereas they reported a decreasing discrepancy between physical and actual age and a decrease in aging satisfaction over time.
After we controlled for level differences, a differential pattern of individual differences in change appeared for the three dimensions: Age contributed to a greater decline in aging satisfaction but an increase in the discrepancy of felt age. A higher number of illnesses at baseline attenuated change in felt age discrepancy.
Future research on change of self-perceptions of aging will provide insight into mechanisms of resilience of the aging self in later life.
2008-12-18
Eng.
The journals of gerontology. Series B, Psychological sciences and social sciences
Max Planck Institute for Human Development, Lentzeallee 94, 14195 Berlin, Germany. kleinspehn [at] mpib-berlin.mpg.de
J Gerontol B Psychol Sci Soc Sci. 2008 Nov;63(6):P377-85
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