Self-Perceptions of Aging: Do Subjective Age and Satisfaction With Aging Change During Old Age?
Abstract
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.
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Beginning in midlife, identities become increasingly youthful.
“Counterintuitively, beginning in midlife, identities become increasingly youthful”
From Centering Age Inequality: Developing a Sociology-of-Age Framework (2022) · cites this paper as Kleinspehn-Ammerlahn et al. 2008
A longitudinal study of Germans aged 70 and older found that people in this age group tend to feel about 13 years younger than their chronological age.
“A longitudinal study of Germans aged 70 and older found that people in this age group tend to feel about 13 years younger than their chronological age (Kleinspehn-Ammerlahn et al. 2008).”
From Centering Age Inequality: Developing a Sociology-of-Age Framework (2022) · cites this paper as Kleinspehn-Ammerlahn et al. 2008
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Self-citationLindenberger, U., Singer, T., & Baltes, P. B. (2002) · The Journals of Gerontology Series B: Psychological Sciences and Social Sciences · doi:10.1093/geronb/57.6.p474 · Cited by 147 · see citing works
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Kotter-Grühn, D., Kleinspehn-Ammerlahn, A., Gerstorf, D., & Smith, J. (2009) · Psychology and Aging · doi:10.1037/a0016510 · Cited by 347 · see citing works
Self-citationLongitudinal change of self-perceptions of aging and mortality
Sargent-Cox, K. A., Anstey, K. J., & Luszcz, M. A. (2014) · The Journals of Gerontology Series B: Psychological Sciences and Social Sciences · doi:10.1093/geronb/gbt005 · Cited by 141 · see citing works
Centering Age Inequality: Developing a Sociology-of-Age Framework
Barrett, A. E. (2022) · Annual Review of Sociology · doi:10.1146/annurev-soc-083121-043741 · Cited by 41 · see citing works
Fernández-Jiménez, C., Dumitrache, C. G., Rubio, L., & Ruiz-Montero, P. J. (2024) · Ageing and Society · doi:10.1017/s0144686x22000332 · Cited by 28 · see citing works
- Authors
- Kleinspehn-Ammerlahn, A., Kotter-Gruhn, D., & Smith, J.
- Affiliations
- Max Planck Society (DE)
- Corresponding author
- Kleinspehn-Ammerlahn, A.
- ORCID
- Smith, J.
- Venue
- The Journals of Gerontology Series B: Psychological Sciences and Social Sciences
- Publisher
- Oxford University Press (OUP)
- Published
- 2008-11-01
- Volume
- 63
- Issue
- 6
- Pages
- P377-P385
- ISSN
- 1079-5014 (ISSN-L)
- 1758-5368
- OpenAlex
- W2116713406
- Cited by
- 338
- References
- 5
- Citations by year
- 2026: 10 · 2025: 9 · 2024: 10 · 2023: 18 · 2022: 20 · 2021: 39 · 2020: 19 · 2019: 28 · 2018: 22 · 2017: 16 · 2016: 33 · 2015: 21 · 2014: 23 · 2013: 23 · 2012: 23
- FWCI
- 9.46
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- closed
- Locations
- The Journals of Gerontology Series B (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- Max Planck Institute for Plasma Physics (submittedVersion)
- Max Planck Digital Library (submittedVersion)
- MPG.PuRe (Max Planck Society) (submittedVersion)
- 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 › Demography › Retirement, Disability, and Employment
- Keywords
- subjective age, self-perception of aging, age discrepancy, longitudinal change, illness, older adults
- MeSH terms
- Adaptation, Psychological, Aged, Aged, 80 and over, Berlin, Female, Humans, Longitudinal Studies, Male, Personal Satisfaction, Self Concept, Time Factors, Multivariate Analysis, Linear Models
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