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ERIC Number: EJ856952
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2009
Pages: 10
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-0165-0254
EISSN: N/A
Subjective Age Bias: A Motivational and Information Processing Approach
Teuscher, Ursina
International Journal of Behavioral Development, v33 n1 p22-31 2009
There is broad empirical evidence, but still a lack of theoretical explanations, for the phenomenon that most older people feel considerably younger than their real age. In this article, a measurement model of subjective age was assessed, and two independent theoretical approaches are proposed: (1) a motivational approach assuming that the age underestimation is a special form of self-enhancement; and (2) an information-processing approach assuming that elderly people look younger nowadays than formerly, which leads to an underestimation of their own age since people compare themselves to an age-prototype which is no longer accurate. Data from 792 adults aged 58-70 support the motivational approach, without ruling out the information processing approach. Data from a younger sample (42 students aged 20-35) provide evidence for the information processing approach additionally. Further, a path model suggests that bodily aspects are the strongest predictor of subjective age. (Contains 7 figures, 2 tables, and 3 footnotes.)
SAGE Publications. 2455 Teller Road, Thousand Oaks, CA 91320. Tel: 800-818-7243; Tel: 805-499-9774; Fax: 800-583-2665; e-mail: journals@sagepub.com; Web site: http://sagepub.com
Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Research
Education Level: N/A
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Identifiers - Location: Switzerland
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A