Study: Perception of your age may affect the way you age

Markus H. Schafer, a doctoral student in sociology and gerontology who led the study at the Purdue University, said "How old you are matters, but beyond that it's your interpretation that has far-reaching implications for the process of aging."

"So, if you feel old beyond your own chronological years you are probably going to experience a lot of the downsides that we associate with aging.

"But if you are older and maintain a sense of being younger, then that gives you an edge in maintaining a lot of the abilities you prize."

During a decade-old study, between 1995 and 2005, Schafer and co-author Tetyana P. Shippee, a Purdue graduate who is a research associate at Purdue's Center on Aging and the Life Course, surveyed 500 people between ages 55-74 about aging as part of the National Survey of Midlife Development in the United States.

The researchers asked the participants what age do they feel most of the time. The majority felt 12 younger than their actual age.

The researchers then compared people's chronological age and the perception of their age, the "subjective age" to examine which affects cognitive abilities during older adulthood more.

"We found that these people who felt young for their age were more likely to have greater confidence about their cognitive abilities a decade later," Schafer said. "Yes, chronological age was important, but the subjective age had a stronger effect.

"What we are not sure about is what comes first. Does a person's wellness and happiness affect their cognitive abilities or does a person's cognitive ability contribute to their sense of wellness. We are planning to address this in a future study."


[Via Science Daily]