Work

Age-related Changes in Expectations About the Future: Implications for Health and Well-being

Year: 2017

Type: conference-abstract

Abstract: As individuals get older, they revise their thoughts and expectations about the future. Several theories in gerontology and developmental psychology make predictions about the ways in which perceptions about the future might change. However, little empirical data exists on changes in expectations about the future, particularly over large stretches of an individual’s life. The current study presents data from multiple longitudinal studies (the Institute for Human Development Studies, the National Survey of Midlife Development in the United States, and the Health and Retirement Study) that collectively measure changes in expectations about the future from age 7 to age 97. Results demonstrate increasingly positive evaluations about the future from early life until older adulthood, followed by more negative evaluations among the oldest old. Follow-up analyses examine correlations between future evaluations and changes in physical health. Implications for lifespan development and perceptions of aging during the second half of life are discussed.

Source: Innovation in Aging

DOI: 10.1093/geroni/igx004.1014

Authors: W. Chopik, E. Kim

Institutions: Michigan State University, Harvard University

Language: English

Topic: Aging and Gerontology Research

Subfield: Neuropsychology and Physiological Psychology

Field: Psychology

Domain: Social Sciences

SDG: Good health and well-being

Open Access status: gold

Estimated APC paid: $3,977