Subjective Age Across the Life Span: A Differentiated, Longitudinal Approach.

Abstract

How old people feel compared with their actual age, their so-called "subjective age" (SA), is a central indicator of individual aging experiences and predicts developmental outcomes, such as health and mortality, across the life span. We investigated the multidimensional structure of SA with respect to specific life domains, focusing on domain differences as well as age group differences and age-related changes. Furthermore, we inspected the relationship between SA and how people perceive their future as old persons (future self-views). We assessed these variables in a sample of 593 persons who completed a questionnaire at two time points 4 years apart (baseline-T1; follow up-T2) and who were aged 30-80 years at T1. SA differed across life domains and age groups, and the amount of change in SA across time was also contingent on life domain. Future self-views at T1 predicted subsequent changes in SA, with more negative self-views being associated with an increase in SA, especially for middle-aged participants for whom the transition to older age is imminent. Our results provide support for a multidimensional view of subjective aging experiences. They highlight the importance of a differentiated investigation of subjective aging constructs and their relations for understanding how these variables shape the aging process.