Denial of Aging: Age Identification and Reference Group Orientations

Abstract

A 10-year longitudinal study of the age-identities of persons 70 and older revealed that many rejected the possibility that they were, in fact, "old." Although there was increased acknowledgment in the restudy of being old, a majority of respondents continued to define themselves in other ways (i.e., as middle-aged or elderly). The importance of comparative reference groups for aging denial was tested. As hypothesized, favorable self-evaluations versus age peers were positively correlated with younger self-images. These comparative evaluations were shown to be as useful as "positional" variables in explaining age-identity. The findings demonstrate the utility of a reference-group perspective in explaining diverse psychological adaptations to late-life role changes.