Empirical evidence consistently shows that individuals with more negative self-perceptions of aging tend to experience poorer mental, physical, and cognitive health over time. Nonetheless, in clinical practice self-perceptions of aging are rarely assessed as an indicator of current and future levels of health. Moreover, few intervention programs promoting positive perceptions of aging and/or facilitating acceptance of age-related losses exist.
Finally, although aging individuals can experience both positive (e.g. increased knowledge) and negative (e.g. poorer memory) age-related changes, previous research mainly studied negative self-perceptions of aging.
Exploring the co-occurrence of perceived age-related gains and losses may provide new insights on the relationships between self-perceptions and objective outcomes. We aim to highlight how self-perceptions of age-related gains and losses are formed and linked to health outcomes, as well as to discuss how understanding of individuals’ awareness of age-related change may enhance the assessment and promotion of health and well-being in older age.
The goal of this Research Topic is to present international evidence on psychosocial and health related predictors and outcomes of awareness of positive and negative age-related change. The concept of awareness of age-related change captures individuals’ self-knowledge that their behavior, level of performance, or way of experiencing life has changed as a consequence of having grown older. This Research Topic will also elucidate how the assessment of awareness of age-related change may help to identify individuals at higher risk of poor health. Finally, the Research Topic will discuss which types of intervention programs may help to promote more positive views of aging and/or adaptation to age-related changes, either through coping or acceptance of changes.
We welcome Original Research, Review, Perspective and Data Reports papers on the following topics:
a) Health-related (e.g. engagement in healthy behaviors, cognitive functioning, mental and physical health and well-being) and psychosocial (e.g. interpersonal relationships) outcomes of awareness
of age-related change;
b) Predictors of awareness of age-related change (e.g. age-stereotypes, current health state, demographic variables);
c) International datasets on awareness of age-related change;
d) Assessment of awareness of age-related change in research contexts and clinical practice;
e) Potential intervention programs for individuals who perceive many age-related losses and few age-related gains.
We are primary interested in research focusing on the concept of “Awareness of age-related change” as defined by Diehl and Wahl (2010); however, research exploring concepts and/or measures having a substantial overlap with “awareness of age-related change” are also welcomed. Concepts will be considered to have substantial overlap with “awareness of age-related change” when they capture both positive and negative perceptions of aging across several life domains (such as health and physical functioning and interpersonal relationships).
Empirical evidence consistently shows that individuals with more negative self-perceptions of aging tend to experience poorer mental, physical, and cognitive health over time. Nonetheless, in clinical practice self-perceptions of aging are rarely assessed as an indicator of current and future levels of health. Moreover, few intervention programs promoting positive perceptions of aging and/or facilitating acceptance of age-related losses exist.
Finally, although aging individuals can experience both positive (e.g. increased knowledge) and negative (e.g. poorer memory) age-related changes, previous research mainly studied negative self-perceptions of aging.
Exploring the co-occurrence of perceived age-related gains and losses may provide new insights on the relationships between self-perceptions and objective outcomes. We aim to highlight how self-perceptions of age-related gains and losses are formed and linked to health outcomes, as well as to discuss how understanding of individuals’ awareness of age-related change may enhance the assessment and promotion of health and well-being in older age.
The goal of this Research Topic is to present international evidence on psychosocial and health related predictors and outcomes of awareness of positive and negative age-related change. The concept of awareness of age-related change captures individuals’ self-knowledge that their behavior, level of performance, or way of experiencing life has changed as a consequence of having grown older. This Research Topic will also elucidate how the assessment of awareness of age-related change may help to identify individuals at higher risk of poor health. Finally, the Research Topic will discuss which types of intervention programs may help to promote more positive views of aging and/or adaptation to age-related changes, either through coping or acceptance of changes.
We welcome Original Research, Review, Perspective and Data Reports papers on the following topics:
a) Health-related (e.g. engagement in healthy behaviors, cognitive functioning, mental and physical health and well-being) and psychosocial (e.g. interpersonal relationships) outcomes of awareness
of age-related change;
b) Predictors of awareness of age-related change (e.g. age-stereotypes, current health state, demographic variables);
c) International datasets on awareness of age-related change;
d) Assessment of awareness of age-related change in research contexts and clinical practice;
e) Potential intervention programs for individuals who perceive many age-related losses and few age-related gains.
We are primary interested in research focusing on the concept of “Awareness of age-related change” as defined by Diehl and Wahl (2010); however, research exploring concepts and/or measures having a substantial overlap with “awareness of age-related change” are also welcomed. Concepts will be considered to have substantial overlap with “awareness of age-related change” when they capture both positive and negative perceptions of aging across several life domains (such as health and physical functioning and interpersonal relationships).
