Psychopolitical and Psychosocial Predictors of Self-Perceptions of Aging Among Young-Old and Old-Old Adults

Agnieszka Turska-Kawa and Irena Pilch

SAGE Open, 2025, vol. 15, issue 3, 21582440251374413

Abstract: Due to the demographic growth of older population segments, psychological research is increasingly devoted to the determinants of good aging. There is strong evidence that positive self-perceptions of aging (SPA) have a beneficial influence on health, well-being, and longevity. However, there is also the need to determine the potential predictors of SPA. The current study examines the relationship between SPA and their psychopolitical and psychosocial predictors among older people. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first time psychopolitical variables are investigated in the context of SPA. We examine four potential predictors of SPA, which are personal characteristics associated with (a) perception of own political participation (i.e., political subjectivity and political agency), (b) perception of being autonomous and having a sense of control over one’s own life (i.e., autonomy in old age), and (c) perception of being loved and supported by others (i.e., social support). Four hundred fifty-five participants aged 65 to 95 participated in the study. Adopting Neugarten’s approach, we compare the results of two groups of older people: the Young-Old (Y-O), aged 65 to 74, and the Old-Old (O-O), aged 75 to 95. The Y-O group was higher than the O-O group on SPA and political agency. SPA were positively associated with political subjectivity and autonomy in old age in both groups.

Keywords: aging; self-perception of aging; Young-Old; Old-Old (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2025
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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:sae:sagope:v:15:y:2025:i:3:p:21582440251374413

DOI: 10.1177/21582440251374413

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