CoChat
Sign Up
Cited by 35Aging and Gerontology ResearchAging, Health, and DisabilityPsychological and Temporal Perspectives Research

The subjective life course framework: Integrating life course sociology with gerontological perspectives on subjective aging

Open access
Barrett, Anne E., Barbee, Harry·2022·Advances in Life Course Research
DOI 10.1016/j.alcr.2021.100448PMC PMC10216003
Open this paper in CoChat — free accountOpen PDF

Abstract

The expansion of life expectancy has precipitated a cultural transformation of the life course - altering the perceived temporal contours of middle and later life. However, our understanding of these perceptions is limited by the absence of a framework within which to examine them. This paper builds on the life course perspective - which emphasizes the objective patterning of lives - by focusing on the subjective side of the life course. Drawing on theoretically, methodologically, and substantively diverse studies, this paper develops the concept of the subjective life course - a term we use to denote individuals' perceptions of the life course, including its structure and timing and their advancing location in it. We outline two dimensions of the subjective life course - the target of the perception (i.e., generalized other versus self) and the temporal frame of reference (i.e., past, present, or future). Using the resulting framework as an organizational tool, we then discuss key constructs located at each intersection along these dimensions, providing examples, where possible, of empirical studies examining them. We close with a discussion of two broad directions for research: leveraging the framework to yield insight on the subjective life course and exploring links between objective and subjective dimensions of the life course.

The claims and statistics of this paper haven’t been checked yet.

Run the check — free, no account needed. It reads the open-access text and checks the sources it cites.

A few free checks a day · papers already verified open instantly · results are public

Integrity signals

Registry

Crossref · 10.1016/j.alcr.2021.100448

Cites

6 of 6 references verified0 citation errors · 0 not checkable

Statistics

Claims the paper makes

The claims and statistics of this paper haven’t been checked yet.

Run the check — free, no account needed. It reads the open-access text and checks the sources it cites.

A few free checks a day · papers already verified open instantly · results are public

Claims other papers make about this one

Each is checked against this paper’s own text: does it say what the citing paper says it does?

  • Each area of scholarship on age-life course sociology, gerontology, and age studies-tends to be somewhat inward-looking.

    “While some scholars (e.g., Barrett & Barbee 2022, Calasanti 2020, Twigg 2013) build connections across these intellectual areas, each area tends to be somewhat inward-looking.”

    From Centering Age Inequality: Developing a Sociology-of-Age Framework (2022) · cites this paper as Barrett & Barbee 2022

    The Introduction says life course sociology and gerontological research on subjective aging have not been integrated, and the section on life course research says the latter stream emerged largely in isolation. The paper itself builds a connection between those two streams, as the citation suggests. The provided passages do not establish that age studies is likewise inward-looking. (LLM, conf=0.83)

    Experimental — accuracy not yet measured

Self-check

Percentages, sums and reported differences re-computed from the paper’s own numbers.

The self-check needs the paper’s full text.

Cites

Flagged first, then by citations

Research works printed but not linked: 134

  1. Armstrong AA, & Crage SM (2006). Movements and memory: The making of the Stonewall myth. American Sociological Review, 71(5), 724– 751. 10.1177/000312240607100502 · DOI
  2. Arnett JJ (2004). Emerging adulthood: The winding road from the late teens through the twenties. New York: Oxford. 10842426
  3. Aronson P (2008). The markers and meanings of growing up: Contemporary young women’s transition from adolescence to adulthood. Gender & Society, 22(1), 56– 82. 10.1177/0891243207311420 18418470 PMC2312095 · DOI
  4. Ayalon L, Dolberg P, Mikulionienė S, Perek-Białas J, Rapolienė G, Stypinska J, … de la Fuente-Núñez V (2019). A systematic review of existing ageism scales. Ageing Research Reviews, 54. 10.1016/j.arr.2019.100919 PMC6745621 31228647 · DOI
  5. Barrett AE (2003). Socioeconomic status and age identity: The role of dimensions of health in the subjective construction of age. The Journals of Gerontology Series B Psychological Sciences and Social Sciences, 52B(2), S101– S109. 10.1093/geronb/58.2.S101 12646599 · DOI · Paper page
  6. Barrett AE (2005). Gendered experiences in midlife: Implications for age identity. Journal of Aging Studies, 19(2), 163– 183. 10.1016/j-jaging.2004.05.002 · DOI
  7. Barrett AE, & Barbee H (2017). Variation in subjective aging by sexual minority status: An examination of four perspectives. The International Journal of Aging and Human Development, 85(1), 44– 66. 10.1177/0091415016677975 27852868 · DOI
  8. Barrett AE, & Gumber C (2020). Feeling old, body and soul: The effect of aging body reminders on age identity. The Journals of Gerontology Series B Psychological Sciences and Social Sciences, 75(3), 625– 629. 10.1093/geronb/gby085 30053142 PMC7768716 · DOI
  9. Barrett AE, & Montepare JM (2015). “ It’s about time”: Integrating life span and life course perspectives into the study of subjective age. Annual Review of Gerontology & Geriatrics, 35, 55– 77. 10.1891/0198-8794.35.55 · DOI
  10. Barrett AE, & Robbins C (2008). The multiple sources of women’s aging anxiety and their relationship with psychological distress. Journal of Aging and Health, 20(1), 32– 65. 10.1177//0898264307309932 18089765 · DOI
  11. Barrett AE, & Toothman EL (2014). Baby boomers’ subjective life course and its physical health effects: How distinctive is the “forever young” cohort? International Journal of Aging and Human Development, 79(2), 109– 129. 10.2190//AG.79.2.b 25536702 · DOI
  12. Barrett AE, & Toothman EL (2016). Explaining age differences in women’s emotional well-being: The role of subjective experiences of aging. Journal of Women & Aging 28(4), 285– 296. 10.1080/08952841.2015.1017426 27029460 · DOI
  13. Barrett AE, & Toothman EL (2018). Multiple “old ages”: The influence of social context on women’s aging anxiety. The Journals of Gerontology Series B Psychological Sciences and Social Sciences, 73(8), e154– e164. 10.1093/geronb/gbx027 28453655 PMC6178960 · DOI
  14. Bergman YS, Bodner E, & Shrira A. (2018). Subjective nearness to death and end-of-life anxieties: The moderating role of ageism. Aging & Mental Health, 22(5), 678– 685. 10.1080/13607863.2017.1286459 28166425 · DOI
  15. Bernardi L, Huinink J, & Settersten RA Jr. (2019). The life course cube: A tool for studying lives. Advances in Life Course Research, 41. 10.1016/j-alcr.2018.11.004 36738031 · DOI
  16. Bertraux D (1981). From the life-history approach to the transformation of sociological practice. In Bertaux D (Ed.), Biography and society: The life history approach in the social sciences (pp. 28– 46). Newbury Park, CA: Sage Publications.
  17. Billari FC, & Liefbroer AC (2007). Should I stay or should I go? The impact of age norms on leaving home. Demography, 44(1), 181– 189. 10.1353/dem.2007.0000 17461342 · DOI
  18. Bohon SA, Johnson MK, & Gorman BK (2006). College aspirations and expectations among Latino adolescents in the United States. Social Problems, 53(2), 207– 225. 10.1525/sp.2006.53.2.207 · DOI
  19. Buchmann M 1989. The script of life in modern society: Entry into adulthood in a changing world. Chicago: University of Chicago Press.
  20. Chudacoff HP (1989). How old are you? Age consciousness in American culture. Princeton, NJ: Princeton University Press.
  21. Cicerelli V (2006). Fear of death in mid-old age. The Journals of Gerontology Series B Psychological Sciences and Social Sciences, 61B(2), P75– P81. 10.1093/geronb/61.2.P75 16497957 · DOI
  22. Clausen J (1993). American lives: Children of the Great Depression. New York: Free Press.
  23. Clausen J (1998). Life reviews and life stories. In Giele JZ, & Elder GH Jr. (Eds.), Methods of life course research (pp. 189– 212). Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage.
  24. Clarke AE, Shim JK, Mamo L, Fosket JR, & Fishman JR (2003). Biomedicalization: Technoscientific transformations of health, illness, and U.S. biomedicine. American Sociological Review, 68(2), 161– 194. 10.2307/1519765 · DOI · Paper page
  25. Clarke A, & Warren L (2007). Hopes, fears and expectations about the future: What do older people’s stories tell us about active aging? Ageing & Society, 27(4), 465– 488. 10.1017/S0144686X06005824 · DOI
  26. Cohler BJ, & Hostetler A (2003). Linking life course and life story: Social change and the narrative study of lives over time. In Mortimer JT, & Shanahan MJ (Eds.), Handbook of the life course (pp. 555– 576). New York: Kluwer Academic/Plenum Publishers.
  27. Cole JH, Marioni RE, Harris SE, & Deary IJ (2019). Brain age and other bodily “ages”: Implications for neuropsychiatry. Molecular Psychiatry, 24(2), 266– 281. 10.1038/s41380-018-0098-1 29892055 PMC6344374 · DOI
  28. Cuddy AJC, Norton MI, & Fiske S (2005). This old stereotype: The pervasiveness and persistence of the elderly stereotype. Journal of Social Issues, 61(2), 267– 285. 10.1111/j.1540-4560.2005.00405.x · DOI · Paper page
  29. Cuzzocrea V, & Mandich G (2016). Students’ narratives of the future: Imagined mobilities as forms of youth agency? Journal of Youth Studies, 19(4), 552– 567. 10.1080/13676261.2015.1098773 · DOI
  30. DeGenova MK (1992). If you had your life to do over again: What would you do differently? International Journal of Aging and Human Development, 34(2), 135– 143. 10.2190//KTFT-59PA-C5Kl-WTLJ 1563825 · DOI
  31. Diehl M, Wahl H-W, Barrett AE, Brothers AF, Miche M, Montepare JM, & Wurm S (2014). Awareness of aging: Theoretical considerations on an emerging concept. Developmental Review, 34(2), 93– 113. 10.1016/j.dr.2014.01.001 24958998 PMC4064469 · DOI
  32. Diehl M, Wahl H-W, Brothers A, & Miche M (2015). Subjective aging and awareness of aging: Toward a new understanding of the aging self. Annual Review of Gerontology and Geriatrics, 35(1), 1– 28. 10.1891/0198-8794.35.1 · DOI
  33. Diehl MK, & Wahl H-W (2010). Awareness of age-related change: Examination of a (mostly) unexplored concept. The Journals of Gerontology, Series B Psychological Sciences and Social Sciences, 65B(3), 340– 350. 10.1093/geronb/gbp110 20008026 PMC2853600 · DOI
  34. Ekerdt DJ, Hackney J, Kosloski K, & DeViney S (2001). Eddies in the stream: The prevalence of uncertain plans for retirement. The Journals of Gerontology Series B: Psychological Sciences and Social Sciences, 56B(3), S162– S170. 10.1093/geronb/56.3.S162 11316841 · DOI
  35. Elder GH Jr. (1975). Age differentiation and the life course. Annual Review of Sociology, 1, 165– 190. 10.1146/annurev.so.01.080175.001121 · DOI · Paper page
  36. Elder GH Jr., & Johnson MK (2002). The life course and aging: Challenges, lessons, and new directions. In Settersten RA Jr. (Ed.), Invitation to the life course: Toward new understandings of later life (pp. 49– 81). Amityville, NY: Baywood.
  37. Eliason SR, Mortimer JT, & Vuolo M (2015). The transition to adulthood: Life course structures and subjective perceptions. Social Psychology Quarterly, 78(3), 205– 227. 10.1177//0190272515582002 26441473 PMC4591543 · DOI
  38. Festinger L (1954). A theory of social comparison processes. Human Relations, 7, 117– 140. 10.1177//001872675400700202 · DOI
  39. Flaherty MG, & Fine GA (2001). Present, past, and future: Conjugating George Herbert Mead’s perspective on time. Time & Society, 10(2–3), 147– 161. 10.1177//0961463X01010002001 · DOI
  40. Fraboni M, Saltstone R, & Hughes S (2010). The Fraboni scale of ageism (FSA): An attempt at a more precise measure of ageism. Canadian Journal of Aging, 9(1), 56– 66. 10.1017/S0714980800016093 · DOI
  41. Freedman D, Thornton A, Camburn D, Alwin D, & Young-DeMarco L (1988). The life history calendar: A technique for collecting retrospective data. Sociological Methodology, 18, 37– 68. 10.2307/271044 12282712 · DOI
  42. George LK (1996). Missing links: The case for a social psychology of the life course. The Gerontologist, 36(2), 248– 255. 10.1093/geront/36.2.248 8920096 · DOI
  43. Glasner T, & van der Vaart W (2009). Applications of calendar instrument in social surveys: A review. Quality and Quantity, 43(3), 333– 349. 10.1007/si1135-007-9129-8 20046840 PMC2798968 · DOI
  44. Hagestad GO (1990). Social perspectives on the life course. In Binstock R, & George L (Eds.), Handbook of aging and the social sciences (3rd ed., pp. 151– 168). New York: Academic Press.
  45. Harden J, Backett-Milburn K, MacLean A, & Jamieson L (2012). Hopes for the future: Parents’ and children’s narratives of children’s future employment orientations. Sociological Research Online, 17(2), 1– 10. 10.5153//sro.2619 · DOI
  46. Hareven TK (2001). Historical perspective on aging and family relations. In Binstock RH, & George LK (Eds.), Handbook of aging and the social sciences (pp. 141– 155). San Diego, CA: Academic Press.
  47. Hareven TK, & Masaoka K (1988). Turning points and transitions: Perceptions of the life course. Journal of Family History, 3(3), 271– 289. 10.1177//036319908801300117 · DOI
  48. Hausknecht S, Low L-F, O’Loughlin K, McNab J, & Clemson L (2020). Older adults’ self-perceptions of aging and being older: A scoping review. The Gerontologist, 60(7), e524– e534. 10.1093/geront/gnzl53 31872232 · DOI
  49. Havari E, & Mazzonna F (2015). Can we trust older people’s statements on their childhood circumstances? Evidence from SHARELIFE. European Journal of Population, 31(3), 233– 257. 10.1007/s10680-014-9332-y · DOI
  50. Hendricks J. (1995). The meaning of reminiscence and life review. Amityville, NY: Baywood.
  51. Hess TM (2006). Seventeen attitudes toward aging and their effects on behavior. In Birren JE, Schaie KW, Abeles RP, Gatz M, & Salthouse TA (Eds.), Handbook of the psychology of aging, 6th ed. (pp. 379– 406).
  52. Hitlin S, & Elder GH Jr. (2007). Time, self, and the curiously abstract concept of agency. Sociological Theory, 25(2), 170– 191. 10.1111/j.1467-9558.2007.00303.x · DOI
  53. Hitlin S, & Johnson MK (2015). Reconceptualizing agency within the life course: The power of looking ahead. American Journal of Sociology, 120(5), 1429– 1472. 10.1086/681216 PMC4496002 26166833 · DOI
  54. Hitlin S, & Long C (2009). Agency as a sociological variable: A preliminary model of individuals, situations, and the life course. Sociological Compass, 3(1), 137– 160.
  55. Hofferth S, & Goldscheider F (2016). Family heterogeneity over the life course. In Shanahan MJ, Mortimer JT, & Johnson MK (Eds.), Handbook of the life course, II pp. 161– 178). New York: Springer.
  56. Holstein JA, & Gubrium JF (2000). Constructing the life course (2nd ed.). Dix Hills, NY: General Hall.
  57. Holstein JA, & Gubrium JF (2002). Narrative. In Ekerdt DJ (Ed.), Encyclopedia of aging (pp. 971– 974). New York: Macmillan.
  58. Hummert ML (2015). Experimental research on age stereotypes: Insights for subjective aging. Annual Review of Gerontology and Geriatrics, 35(1), 79– 97. 10.1891/0198-8794.35.79 · DOI
  59. Ingersoll-Dayton B, Kropf N, Campbell R, & Parker M (2019). A systematic review of dyadic approaches to reminiscence and life review among older adults. Aging & Mental Health, 23(9), 1074– 1085. 10.1080/13607863.2018.1555696 30596457 · DOI
  60. Irby-Shasanmi A. (2013). Predictors of subjective life expectancy among African Americans. Research on Aging, 35(3), 322– 347. 10.1177//0164027512442945 · DOI
  61. Jivraj S, Goodman A, Ploubidis GB, & de Oliveira C (2020). Testing comparability between retrospective life history data and prospective birth cohort study data. The Journals of Gerontology Series B Psychological Sciences and Social Sciences, 75(1), 207– 217. 10.1093/geronb/gbx042 28444303 PMC6909437 · DOI
  62. Johnson MK, Berg JA, & Sirotzki T (2007). Differentiation in self-perceived adulthood: Extending the confluence model of subjective age identity. Social Psychology Quarterly, 70(3), 243– 261. 10.1177/019027250707000304 · DOI
  63. Kafer RA, Rakowski W, Lachman M, & Hickey T (1980). Aging opinion survey: A report on instrument development. International Journal of Aging and Human Development, 11(4), 319– 333. 10.2190//JQF5-XDCV-HlAH-3E1Y 7216520 · DOI
  64. Karp DA (1988). A decade of reminders: Changing age consciousness between fifty and sixty years old. The Gerontologist, 28(6), 727– 738. 10.1093/geront/28.6.727 3253146 · DOI
  65. Kastenbaum R, Derbin V, Sabatini P, & Arrt S (1972). “ The ages of me”: Toward personal and interpersonal definitions of functional aging. Aging and Human Development, 3(2), 197– 211. 10.2190//TUJR-WTXK-866Q-8QU7 · DOI
  66. Kaufman G, & Elder GH Jr. (2002). Revisiting age identity: A research note. Journal of Aging Studies, 16(2), 169– 176. 10.1016/S0890-4065(02)00042-7 · DOI
  67. Kaufman G, & Elder GH Jr. (2003). Grandparenting and age identity. Journal of Aging Studies, 17(3), 269– 282. 10.1016/S0890-4065(03)00030-6 · DOI
  68. Kaufman SR (1986). The ageless self: Sources of meaning in late life. Madison, WI: University of Wisconsin Press.
  69. Kenyon G, Clark P, & de Vries B (Eds.). (2001). Narrative gerontology: Theory, research, and practice. New York: Springer.
  70. Keyes CLM, & Westerhof GJ (2012). Chronological and subjective age differences in flourishing mental health and major depressive episode. Aging & Mental Health, 16 (1), 67– 75. 10.1080/13607863.2011.596811 21780972 · DOI · Paper page
  71. Kleinspehn-Ammerlahn A, Kotter-Grühn D, & Smith J (2008). Self-perceptions of aging: Do subjective aging and satisfaction with aging change during old age? The Journals of Gerontology Series B, 63(6), 377– 385. 10.1093/geronb/63.6.P377 19092041 · DOI · Paper page
  72. Kohli M. (2007). The institutionalization of the life course: Looking back to look ahead. Research in Human Development, 4(2–3), 253– 271. 10.1080/15427600701663122 · DOI
  73. Kornadt AE, Voss P, & Rothermund K (2017). Age stereotypes and self-views revisited: Patterns of internalization and projection processes across the life span. The Journals of Gerontology: Series B, 72(4), 582– 592. 10.1093/geronb/gbv099 26511111 · DOI
  74. Kotter-Grühn D, & Hess TM (2012). The impact of age stereotypes on self-perceptions of aging across the adult lifespan. The Journals of Gerontology Series B, 67(5), 563– 571. 10.1093/geronb/gbr153 PMC3441190 22367710 · DOI
  75. Laborde C, Lelievre E, & Vivier G (2007). Trajectories and landmark events: How people narrate their lives analysis of life course facts and perceptions. Population, 62 (3), 489– 505. 10.3917/popu.703.0567 · DOI
  76. Lachman ME, Lewkowicz C, Marcus A, & Peng Y (1994). Images of midlife development among young, middle-aged, and older adults. Journal of Adult Development, 1, 201– 211. 10.1146/annurev.psych.55.090902.141521 · DOI · Paper page
  77. Lakra DC, Ng R, & Levy BR (2012). Increased longevity from viewing retirement positively. Ageing & Society, 32(3), 1418– 1427. 10.1017/S0144686X11000985 · DOI
  78. Lang FR, Baltes PB, & Wagner GG (2007). Desired lifetime and end-of-life desires across adulthood from 20 to 90: A dual-source information model. The Journals of Gerontology, Series B Psychological Sciences and Social Sciences, 62B(5), P268– P276. 10.1093/geronb/62.5.P268 17906168 · DOI
  79. Lashbrook J. (2002). Age norms. In Ekerdt DJ (Ed.), Encyclopedia of aging (pp. 40– 43). New York: Macmillan.
  80. Lawton MP (1975). The philadelphia geriatric center morale scale: A revision. Journal of Gerontology, 30(1), 85– 89. 10.1093/geronj/30.1.85 1109399 · DOI
  81. Leccardi C, & Rampazi M (1993). Past and future in young women’s experience of time. Time & Society, 2(3), 353– 379. 10.1177//0961463X93002003004 · DOI
  82. Levy BR (2003). Mind matters: Cognitive and physical effects of aging self-stereotypes. The Journals of Gerontology Series B Psychological Sciences and Social Sciences, 58B(4), P203– P211. 10.1093/geronb/58.4.P203 12878645 · DOI · Paper page
  83. Levy BR, Kasl S, & Gill T (2004). Image of aging scale. Journal of Perceptual and Motor Skills, 99(1), 208– 210. 10.2466//pms.99.1.208-210 15446647 · DOI
  84. Levy BR, & Myers LM (2004). Preventive health behaviors influenced by self-perceptions of aging. Preventive Medicine, 39(3), 625– 629. 10.1016/j.ypmed.2004.02.029 15313104 · DOI
  85. Levy BR, Slade MD, Kunkel SR, & Kasl SV (2002bbb). Longitudinal benefit of positive self-perceptions of aging on functioning health. The Journals of Gerontology, Series B Psychological Sciences and Social Sciences, 57(4), P409– P417. 10.1093/geronb/57.5.P409 12198099 · DOI
  86. Levy BR, Slade MD, May J, & Caracciolo EA (2006). Physical recovery after acute myocardial infarction: Positive age self-stereotypes as a resource. International Journal of Aging and Human Development, 62(4), 285– 301. 10.2190//EJK1-1Q0D-LHGE-7A35 16739466 · DOI
  87. Levy BR, Slade MD, Pietrzak RH, & Ferrucci L (2018). Positive age beliefs protect against dementia even among elders with high-risk gene. PLoS One, 13(2), Article e0191004. 10.1371/journal.pone.0191004 PMC5802444 29414991 · DOI
  88. Lichter DT, Batson DC, & Brown JB (2004). Welfare reform and marriage promotion: The marital expectations and desires of single and cohabiting mothers. Social Service Review, 78(1), 2– 25. 10.1086/380652 · DOI
  89. Logan JR, Ward R, & Spitze GD (1992). As old as you feel: Age identity in middle and later life. Social Forces, 71(2), 451– 467. 10.1093/sf/71.2.451 · DOI
  90. Luhmann N (1976). The future cannot begin: Temporal structures in modern society. Social Research, 43(1), 130– 152. 〈 https://www.jstor.org/stable/40970217〉.
  91. Macmillan R (2006). Constructing adulthood: Agency and subjectivity in the transition to adulthood. Advances in Life Course Research, 11, 3– 29. 10.1016/S1040-2608(06)11001-1 · DOI
  92. Maines DR, & Hardesty MJ (1987). Temporality and gender: Young adults’ career and family plans. Social Forces, 66(1), 102– 120. 10.1093/sf/66.1.102 · DOI
  93. Marini MM (1984). Age and sequencing norms in the transition to adulthood. Social Forces, 63(1), 229– 244. 10.1093/sf/66.1.102 · DOI
  94. Miche M, Wahl H, Diehl M, Oswald F, Kaspar R, & Kolb M (2014). Natural occurrence of subjective aging experiences in community-dwelling older adults. The Journals of Gerontology Series B Psychological Sciences and Social Sciences, 69(2), 174– 187. 10.1093/geronb/gbsl64 23325506 PMC12124237 · DOI
  95. Moen P. (2016). Work over the gendered life course. In Shanahan MJ, Mortimer JT, & Johnson MK (Eds.), Handbook of the life course, II pp. 249– 276). New York: Springer.
  96. Montepare JM (2009). Subjective age: Toward a guiding lifespan framework. International Journal of Behavioral Development, 33(1), 42– 46. 10.1177//0165025408095551 · DOI
  97. Mortimer JT, & Moen P (2016). The changing social construction of age and the life course: Precarious identity and enactment of “early” and “encore” stages of adulthood. In Shanahan MJ, Mortimer JT, & Johnson MK (Eds.), Handbook of the life course, II pp. 111– 130). New York: Springer.
  98. Neugarten BL, & Hagestad GO (1976). Age and the life course. In Binstock R, & Shanas E (Eds.), Handbook of aging and the social sciences (pp. 35– 55). New York: Van Nostrand Reinhold.
  99. Neugarten BL, Moore JW, & Lowe JC (1965). Age norms, age constraints, and adult socialization. American Journal of Sociology, 70(6), 710– 717. 10.1086/223965 14298073 · DOI
  100. Oechsle M, & Geissler B (2003). Between paid work and private commitments: Women’s perceptions of time and life planning in young adulthood. Time & Society, 12(1), 79– 98. 10.1177//0961463X03012001365 · DOI
  101. Palgi Y, Shrira A, Kavé G, Rubinstein T, & Shmotkin D (2019). Which factors do older adults consider when estimating the time left for them to life? The Journals of Gerontology Series B Psychological Sciences and Social Sciences, 74(1), 69– 73. 10.1093/geronb/gby048 29688534 · DOI
  102. Park J, Fung HH, Rothermund K, & Hess TM (2019). The impact of perceived control and future-self views on preparing for the old age: Moderating influences of age, culture, and context. The Journals of Gerontology, Series B Psychological Sciences and Social Sciences, 75(5), e18– e28. 10.1093/geronb/gbzl38 31630183 · DOI
  103. Reynolds J, & Burge S (2008). Educational expectations and the rise in women’s post-secondary attainments. Social Science Research, 37(2), 485– 499. 10.1016/j.ssresearch.2007.09.002 19069056 · DOI
  104. Reynolds J, Burge S, Robbins C, Boyd E, & Harris B (2007). Mastery and the fulfillment of occupational expectations. Social Psychology Quarterly, 70(4), 366– 383. 10.1177//019027250707000407 · DOI
  105. Sarkisian CA, Hays RD, Berry S, & Mangione CM (2002). Development, reliability, and validity of the Expectations Regarding Aging (ERA-38) Survey. The Gerontologist, 42(4), 534– 542. 10.1093/geront/42.4.534 12145381 · DOI
  106. Schafer MH, Ferraro KF, & Mustillo SA (2011). Children of misfortune: Early adversity and cumulative inequality in perceived life trajectories. American Journal of Sociology, 116(4), 1053– 1091. 10.1086/655760 PMC3149822 21648247 · DOI
  107. Schafer MH, & Shippee TP. (2010). Age identity, gender, and perceptions of decline: Does feeling older lead to pessimistic dispositions about cognitive aging? The Journals of Gerontology Series B Psychological Sciences and Social Sciences, 65B(1), 91– 96. 10.1093/geronb/gbp046 19515992 · DOI
  108. Schoeni RF, Freedman VA, & Martin LG (2008). Why is late-life disability declining? The Milbank Quarterly, 86(1), 47– 89. 10.1111/j.1468-0009.2007.00513.x 18307477 PMC2690336 · DOI
  109. Scott J, & Alwin D (1998). Retrospective versus prospective measurement of life histories in longitudinal research. In Giele JZ, & Elder GH Jr. (Eds.), Methods of life course research: Qualitative and quantitative approaches (pp. 98– 127). Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage.
  110. Seccombe K, & Ishii-Kuntz M (1991). Perceptions of problems associated with aging: Comparisons among four older age cohorts. The Gerontologist, 31(4), 527– 533. 10.1093/geront/31.4.527 1894157 · DOI
  111. Settersten RA Jr. (2003). Age structuring and the rhythm of the life course. In Mortimer JT, & Shanahan MJ (Eds.), Handbook of the life course (pp. 81– 102). New York: Kluwer.
  112. Settersten RA Jr. (2005). Linking the two ends of life: What gerontology can learn from childhood studies. The Journals of Gerontology Series B Psychological Sciences and Social Sciences, 60B(4), S173– S180. 10.1093/geronb/60.4.S173 15980291 · DOI
  113. Settersten RA Jr., & Hagestad GO (1996aaa). What’s the latest? Cultural age deadlines for family transitions. The Gerontologist, 36(2), 178– 188. 10.1093/geront/36.2.178 8920087 · DOI
  114. Settersten RA Jr., & Hagestad GO (1996bbb). What’s the latest? II. Cultural age deadlines for educational and work transitions. The Gerontologist, 36(5), 602– 613. 10.1093/geront/36.5.602 8942104 · DOI
  115. Settersten RA Jr., & Hagestad GO (2015). Subjective aging and new complexities of the life course. Annual Review of Gerontology & Geriatrics, 35, 25– 53. 10.1891/0198-8794.35.29 · DOI
  116. Settersten RA Jr., & Mayer KU (1997). The measurement of age, age structuring, and the life course. Annual Review of Sociology, 23, 233– 261. 10.1146/annurev.soc.23.1.233 · DOI
  117. Settersten RA Jr., & Ray B (2010). What’s going on with young people today? The long and twisting path to adulthood. Future of Children, 20(1), 19– 41. doi.org/10.1353.foc.0.0044. 20364620
  118. Spéder Z, Murinko L, & Settersten RA Jr. (2014). Are conceptions of adulthood universal and unisex? Ages and social markers in 25 European countries. Social Forces, 92(3), 873– 898. 10.1093/sf/sot100 · DOI
  119. Stephan Y, Caudroit J, Jaconelli A, & Terracciano A (2014). Subjective age and cognitive functioning: A 10-year prospective study. The American Journal ofGedatric Psychiatry, 22(11), 1180– 1187. 10.1016/j.jagp.2013.03.007 23871114 · DOI · Paper page
  120. Stephan Y, Sutin AR, & Terracciano A (2018aaa). Determinants and implications of subjective age across adulthood and old age. In Ryff CD, & Krueger RF (Eds.), The Oxford handbook of integrative health science (pp. 87– 96). Oxford University Press.
  121. Stephan Y, Sutin AR, & Terracciano A (2018bbb). Subjective age and mortality in three longitudinal samples. Psychosomatic Medicine, 80(7), 659– 664. 10.1097/PSY.0000000000000613 29864106 PMC6345273 · DOI
  122. Straub SH, & Roberts JM (2001). Fear of death in widows: Effects of age at widowhood and suddenness of death. Omega, 43(1), 25– 41. 10.2190//KP61-5U92-MWJR-JADG · DOI
  123. Sutin AR, Costa PT Jr., Wethington E, & Eaton W (2010). Turning points and lessons learned: Stressful life events and personality trait development across middle adulthood. Psychology and Aging, 25(3), 524– 533. 10.1037/a0018751 20853963 · DOI
  124. Terracciano A, Stephan Y, Aschwanden D, Lee JH, Sesker AA, Strickhouser JE, … Sustin AR (2021). Changes in subjective age during COVID-19. The Gerontologist, 61(1), 13– 22. 10.1093/geront/gnaal04 32766780 PMC7454556 · DOI
  125. Thyagarajan B, Shippee N, Parsons H, Vivek S, Crimmins E, Faul J, & Shippee T (2019). How does subjective age get “under the skin”? The association between biomarkers and feeling older or younger than one’s age: The Health and Retirement Study. Innovations in Aging, 3(4), 1– 11. 10.1093/geroni/igz035 PMC6736363 31528718 · DOI
  126. Toothman EL, & Barrett AE (2011). Mapping midlife: An examination of social factors shaping conceptions of the timing of middle age. Advances in Life Course Research, 16(3), 99– 111. 10.1016/j.alcr.2011.08.003 · DOI
  127. Tosi M (2017). Age norms, family relationships, and home-leaving in Italy. Demographic Research, 36, 281– 306. 10.4054/DemRes.2017.36.9 · DOI
  128. Uotinen V, Rantanen T, & Suutama T (2005). Perceived age as a predictor of old age mortality: A 13-year prospective study. Age and Ageing, 34(4), 368– 372. 10.1093/ageing/afi091 15899910 · DOI
  129. von Solinge H, & Henkens K (2018). Subjective life expectancy and actual mortality: Results of a 10-year panel study among older workers. European Journal of Ageing, 15(2), 155– 164. 10.1007/s10433-017-0442-3 29867300 PMC5971026 · DOI
  130. Westerhof GJ, & Barrett AE (2005). Age identity and subjective well-being: A comparison of the United States and Germany. The Journals of Gerontology Series B Psychological Sciences and Social Sciences, 60(3), S129– S136. 10.1093/geronb/60.3.S129 15860789 · DOI · Paper page
  131. Westerhof GJ, Bohlmeijer E, & Webster J (2009). Reminiscence and mental health: A review of recent progress in theory, research, and interventions. Aging & Society, 30(4), 697– 721. 10.1017/S0144686X09990328 · DOI
  132. Wethington E (2003). Turning points as opportunities for psychological growth. In Keyes CLM, & Haidt J (Eds.), Flourishing: Positive psychology and the life well-lived (pp. 37– 53). Washington, DC: American Psychological Association.
  133. Zick CD, Smith KR, Mayer RN, & Taylor LB (2014). Family, frailty, and fatal futures? Own-health and family-health predictors of subjective life expectancy. Research on Aging, 36(2), 244– 266. 10.1177//0164027513482948 25650691 · DOI
  134. Zihan Y, & Post T (2020). What age do you feel? Subjective age identity and economic behaviors. Journal of Economic Behavior & Organization, 173, 322– 341. 10.1016/j.jebo.2019.08.004 · DOI

Cited by

Sorted by citations

Authors
Barrett, A. E., & Barbee, H.
Affiliations
  • Florida State University (US)
  • Vanderbilt University (US)
Corresponding author
Barrett, Anne E.
ORCID
Venue
Advances in Life Course Research
Publisher
Elsevier BV
Published
2022-03
Volume
51
Pages
100448
ISSN
  • 1040-2608 (ISSN-L)
  • 1569-4909
DOI
10.1016/j.alcr.2021.100448
PMC
PMC10216003
OpenAlex
W3203669300
Cited by
35
References
6
Citations by year
2026: 5 · 2025: 10 · 2024: 7 · 2023: 6 · 2022: 6 · 2021: 1
FWCI
1.29
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
Licence
Locations
  • Advances in Life Course Research (publishedVersion)
  • PubMed (publishedVersion)
  • PubMed Central (acceptedVersion)
Funders
National Institute on Aging (R01AG063771)
Topics
  • Social Sciences › Psychology › Neuropsychology and Physiological Psychology › Aging and Gerontology Research
  • Health Sciences › Medicine › Public Health, Environmental and Occupational Health › Aging, Health, and Disability
  • Social Sciences › Psychology › Experimental and Cognitive Psychology › Psychological and Temporal Perspectives Research
Keywords
life course sociology, subjective aging, perceptions of aging, generalized other, self-perception
MeSH terms
Aging, Forecasting, Geriatrics, Humans, Life Change Events, Sociology

About these checks

Registry, retraction, Cites and statistics results are computed, not judged, with one exception: a printed reference that no index lists is read once by a model before it counts as a citation error. Claims are extracted by a model and kept only when their quote appears verbatim in the text; each cited source is then checked, with a model’s help, for whether it says what the claim relies on. Those verdicts can be wrong — read the claim’s quote and the cited source before relying on one.

Statistics and arithmetic are recomputed, not judged.

Confidence bands are shown only for fields calibrated on our annotated test set. None is calibrated yet, so no band is shown.

What counts as a claim ›How we measure confidence ›How we check this ›

Are you an author, or do you see a problem with this page? Request a review