Changes in positive and negative affect as predictors of change in felt age: Results from the Health and Retirement Study |
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| Authors: | Yuval Palgi Liat Ayalon Sharon Avidor Ehud Bodner |
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| Institution: | 1. Department of Gerontology, The Center for Research and Study of Aging, University of Haifa, Haifa, Israel;2. Louis and Gabi Weisfeld, School of Social Work, Bar Ilan University, Ramat-Gan, Israel;3. School of Social and Community Sciences, Ruppin Academic Center, Emek Hefer, Israel;4. The Interdisciplinary Department of Social Sciences, Bar-Ilan University, Ramat-Gan, Israel;5. The Department of Music, Bar-Ilan University, Ramat-Gan, Israel |
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| Abstract: | The present study aimed to examine how changes in positive and negative affect and their interaction predict changes in felt age in a longitudinal design of two waves drawn from the Health and Retirement Study (HRS). Participants (n = 4174) at an average age of 67.97 completed the 2008 and 2012 left behind questionnaire of the HRS. Our results showed that an increase in positive affect and a decrease in negative affect from Wave 1 to Wave 2 predicted an accelerated decrease in felt age. There was an interaction effect showing that for those with an increase in negative affect, a higher change in positive affect predicted reduced odds for accelerated increase in felt age. To conclude, improving favorable change in the combination between positive and negative affect might in turn relate to the individual’s self-perceptions of aging, in the second half of life. |
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| Keywords: | Positive affect negative affect subjective age Health and Retirement Study older adults |
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