Social Comparisons of Health and Cognitive Functioning Contribute to Changes in Subjective Age.

Abstract

As individuals age, they monitor how well they are aging by comparing themselves with their peers. We examined whether such social comparisons contribute to change in one's subjective age over time and whether they mediate the relationship of health and cognitive functioning with subjective age. A total of 3,427 participants from the Midlife in the United States study were assessed on subjective age on two occasions 10 years apart. Measures of cognition and health were taken at the second wave along with social comparison measures for health and memory. The results showed that social comparisons of memory and health mediated the relationship between memory performance and level of subjective age as well as the relationship between functional health and subjective age change. The results suggest that those who have better functioning in aging-relevant domains have a more favorable view of themselves compared with others, which in turn predicted a younger subjective age and smaller increases in subjective age over 10 years. When social comparisons were considered, those who had better health and memory and more favorable comparative assessments did not feel that they had aged as much as those who had lower functioning and assessments.