Open AccessThe Effects of Age Stereotypes on Physical and Mental Health Are Mediated by Self-perceptions of Aging
Author(s) -
Anna Elena Kornadt,
Abigail Nehrkorn-Bailey,
HansWerner Wahl,
Manfred Diehl
Publication year - 2020
Publication title -
the journals of gerontology. series b, psychological sciences and social sciences
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.578
H-Index - 150
eISSN - 1758-5368
pISSN - 1079-5014
DOI - 10.1093/geronb/gbaa176
Subject(s) - mental health , psychology , operationalization , structural equation modeling , antecedent (behavioral psychology) , perception , affect (linguistics) , successful aging , developmental psychology , physical health , clinical psychology , gerontology , medicine , psychiatry , neuroscience , philosophy , statistics , mathematics , communication , epistemology
Although the evidence linking views on aging (VoA) with aging outcomes is robust, little is known about how different types of VoA may interact to influence such outcomes. Therefore, this study examined two types of VoA, age stereotypes (AS), representing general VoA, and self-perceptions of aging (SPA), representing personal VoA. We operationalized SPA in terms of awareness of age-related change (AARC), distinguishing between gain- and loss-related SPA (e.g., awareness of positive and negative age-related changes, respectively). Based on theoretical reasoning, we hypothesized that AS would be an antecedent of SPA, and that the effect of AS on physical and mental health would be mediated by SPA.