Psychology and Aging最新文献

Research on narrative identity-the ongoing process of shaping and being shaped by life stories-provides rich insights into personality development and can predict psychosocial well-being. However, narratives about aging remain underexamined, limiting our understanding of narrative identity processes over the life course. We explored individuals' narratives on aging, examining how narrative themes vary across age, gender, and race and relate to four domains of self-reported well-being (psychological well-being, generativity, physical health, body image). We analyzed narrative scenes from 143 late midlife adults (62% women, 38% men; 58% White, 40% Black, 2% interracial/other) twice, first at M_age = 60.37 (SD = 0.90; n = 135) and again at M_age = 64.5 (SD = 0.95; n = 136). Participants responded to questions about stability versus change in personal identity and feelings about the aging process. We coded five narrative themes: agency, communion, closure, self-actualization, and exploratory processing. Results showed that exploratory processing was the only narrative theme to show significant mean-level change (increase) over time. Black participants scored higher than White participants on agency, self-actualization, and closure; no gender differences were found. Most narrative themes predicted well-being measures in models controlling for race. In particular, self-actualization predicted all four measures, and agency predicted all but generativity. Psychological well-being was predicted by four of five themes, and physical health/fitness was predicted by three. We interpret these findings in the context of the interplay of race, gender, and master narratives and highlight the importance of narrative identity processes to well-being in late midlife, with implications for understanding diverse aging experiences. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2025 APA, all rights reserved).

How we perceive and evaluate our own aging is shaped by both social and temporal comparisons. Social comparison involves evaluating oneself in relation to others, whereas temporal comparison focuses on assessing changes within oneself over time. Comparative information can produce opposing effects, causing individuals to feel either relatively younger or older than their chronological age: While temporal comparisons are often perceived as threatening in the second half of life, social comparisons are frequently employed to bolster self-perceptions. We investigated how social and temporal comparisons shape subjective aging in two studies, a longitudinal (Study 1, N = 2,425, 39-93 years; 55.5% women) and an experimental study (Study 2, N = 160, 50-75 years, 58% women). The results of both studies demonstrate that "me vs. them" comparisons result in feeling relatively younger, whereas "me vs. past/future me" comparisons lead to feeling relatively older. Study 2 also reveals evidence for the mediating role of self-perceptions of aging in this relationship. We discuss how social and temporal comparisons influence subjective age in opposite ways, offering important insights into the cognitive and motivational processes underlying subjective aging. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2025 APA, all rights reserved).

To better understand age-related processes tied to well-being, the current work explores how fluctuations in well-being in daily life differ based on age and various well-being domains. Additionally, this research investigates whether the magnitude of concurrent within-person changes in well-being domains varies based on age. Accordingly, the present study called upon daily diary data from two age-diverse samples: a young adult sample (N = 144; age: M = 19.56, SD = 2.09, range = 17-28) and older adult sample (N = 81; age: M = 69.04, SD = 9.06, range = 55-94). Mixed effect location scale models suggested that older adults on average scored higher than young adults on daily self-acceptance, engagement, sense of purpose, autonomy, competence, personal growth, relatedness, vitality, and positive affect; scored lower on negative affect; and did not score differently on life satisfaction. Meanwhile, young adults experienced more daily within-person variability in all 11 well-being domains. Finally, multigroup, multilevel structural equation models showed that, at the between-person level, negative affect was more strongly tied to other well-being domains in young adults, while positive affect and vitality were more strongly tied to other well-being domains in older adults. At the within-person level, changes in one daily well-being domain were more strongly associated with changes in another 65% of the time for young adults and 33% of the time for older adults. The present study highlights differences in daily well-being processes tied to age and the larger role that daily events and experiences may play in shaping the short-term experiences of well-being in young adults' daily lives. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2026 APA, all rights reserved).

Perimenopause is a transitional stage of reproductive aging characterized by fluctuating hormone levels which impact cognition. Cognitive concerns (e.g., forgetfulness, difficulty concentrating) are frequently reported during this stage and can affect daily functioning, work, and relationships. Numerous studies have reported that perimenopause is associated with subjective cognitive complaints and objective cognitive deficits; however, findings have been inconsistent due to methodological variability including different comparison groups (premenopause/postmenopause) and different outcomes investigated (attention, memory, etc.). This systematic review and meta-analytic investigation therefore sought to provide clarity by exploring differences in cognition during perimenopause compared to both premenopause and postmenopause. Across 26 articles comprising 9,428 participants, group differences were examined between perimenopausal and premenopausal women (21 studies), and between perimenopausal and postmenopausal women (21 studies). Overall, perimenopausal women exhibited poorer cognitive outcomes than premenopausal women (moderate effect), though, notably, this negative effect was only found in studies utilizing the Stages of Reproductive Aging Workshop (STRAW+10) criteria to categorize menopausal/reproductive stages. In contrast, no differences were found between perimenopausal and postmenopausal women, though moderator analyses indicated that studies not utilizing the STRAW+10 criteria yielded significant effects (better cognition in perimenopausal than postmenopausal groups). Additionally, compared to postmenopausal women, perimenopausal women demonstrated better objective cognitive outcomes (accuracy, reaction time), with a trend for poorer self-reported outcomes. These findings highlight the importance of applying standardized reproductive staging (STRAW+10) and the inclusion of subjective and objective assessments in future research. A clearer understanding of cognitive changes during perimenopause may improve clinical assessment and inform interventions to support cognitive health in midlife women. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2025 APA, all rights reserved).

Growing evidence suggests that healthy aging is reliably associated with a positivity bias, benefiting affective well-being in older age. The socioemotional selectivity theory suggests that the positivity bias is subserved by top-down attentional processes, whereas the dynamic integration theory suggests it is subserved by bottom-up attentional processes. However, little is known about whether the age-related positivity bias manifests to the same extent in individuals with lower levels of executive function, such as those with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder. It is also unclear whether the positivity bias is observed in naturalistic contexts and specifically how momentary attentional states in daily life, such as on-task attention, or mind wandering (intentionally or unintentionally), may moderate the positivity bias. To address these questions, we recruited 101 adults (aged 19-79) with self-reported attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder and probed their momentary attentional and affective states during everyday life, six times daily for 7 days. Using attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder symptom levels as an index of executive dysfunction, we examined the interaction between age, executive function, and momentary attentional state in predicting momentary affective valence. Results indicate that older adults showed a more positive relationship between executive dysfunction and affective valence during unintentional mind wandering (compared with on-task attention), whereas younger adults exhibited the opposite pattern. Our findings provide preferential support for the dynamic integration theory rather than the socioemotional selectivity theory account of the positivity bias and highlight the moderating effect of age on a complex relationship between executive dysfunction, momentary attentional state, and affective valence. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2026 APA, all rights reserved).

The verbatim-decline/gist-sparing principle has been proposed as a universal law of healthy aging. According to that principle, remembering that relies chiefly on verbatim retrieval declines steadily with age, whereas remembering that relies chiefly on retrieval of semantic gist is spared. The most definitive support for this principle comes from studies in which verbatim and gist retrieval were cleanly separated with the parameters of measurement models but that work is restricted to recognition data. Because recall is more sensitive to aging trends, we hypothesized that measurement models of recall might yield a richer picture of verbatim and gist development. To test that hypothesis, we conducted a combined cross-sectional/longitudinal study of the multitrial recall of large samples of younger adults (M = 20 years), younger old adults (M = 76 years), and older old adults (M = 84 years). When the data were analyzed with the dual-retrieval model, the model's verbatim parameters declined substantially between each of these age levels, but they also recovered substantially over learning trials. Crucially, the effects of learning on verbatim retrieval did not decline between the 20s and mid-70s. Unlike recognition, the model's gist parameters displayed robust aging trends, including counterintuitive age improvements: One component of gist retrieval (reconstruction) improved with age during later recall but declined with age during earlier recall, and the other component (familiarity judgment) improved with age during earlier recall. A critical new finding was that verbatim retrieval is much more responsive to learning opportunities than gist retrieval is. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2026 APA, all rights reserved).

What role do situational factors play in emotion regulation behavior in everyday life, and is this moderated by age? We present data from a longitudinal experience sampling study (N = 236, ages 18-87) measuring emotion regulation tactic and acceptance use and everyday life situations, with 35 reports over 7 days in three total bursts 4 weeks apart. Older ages were nonlinearly associated with increased likelihood of using positive-approaching tactics, peaking among the oldest individuals. However, tactic use fluctuated with certain self-reported objective situational types and subjective perceived characteristics of situations, with some age-related moderation: Older adults were more likely to use positive-approaching tactics specifically during emotion regulation events involving social interaction. In general, older ages were associated with a lower likelihood of using negative-receding tactics; younger adults were more likely to use these tactics in emotion regulation events involving romantic partners. Age also moderated the use of acceptance in some situations: Older adults were more likely to use emotional acceptance in romantic partner contexts and situational acceptance in objective work-related contexts. Examining emotion regulation tactic and acceptance use within situational contexts may help isolate the specific emotional situations that amplify (or minimize) age differences in emotion regulation behavior. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2026 APA, all rights reserved).

Age-related declines in motor control are well-documented. However, mixed findings are reported on the age-related changes in the ability to rapidly adjust ongoing movements in response to target perturbations. When age-related differences are observed, they are often attributed to a general age-related slowing rather than a specific decline in online correction. The lack of age-related differences is often speculated to result from compensatory strategies or preserved neurocomputational processes for online correction in older adults. This study was to (a) investigate whether there are age-related changes specific to online motor control and (b) explore the association between online motor control and motor imagery ability in older adults, as both processes rely on forward modeling to predict movement outcomes. Fifty-six young and 29 older participants completed a computer-based double-step reaching task. We found that older adults exhibited longer correction latencies, more rigid corrective movements, and reduced endpoint accuracy compared with younger adults. Notably, the prolonged correction times could not be fully explained by general age-related slowing in information processing. While older adults could use a speed-accuracy trade-off to enhance single-step reaching accuracy, this strategy was insufficient for double-step reaching, indicating age-related challenges in online motor correction. Moreover, older adults' online correction and double-step reaching accuracy were linked to their motor imagery ability, suggesting a reliance on forward modeling. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2025 APA, all rights reserved).

Older adults often show a deficit in associative memory for faces paired with pieces of information. Older adults also have a heightened trust for faces despite the information the faces are associated with, in some cases. The present study investigated young and older adults' associative memory for faces associated with scams, donations, or a neutral label and whether trustworthiness would be reflective of these associations. In three experiments, participants viewed faces associated with these labels for either 6 s (Experiment 1), 3 s (Experiment 2), or unlimited time (Experiment 3) and were tested on their memory for the labels. In addition, they rated the faces on their honesty before and after the label was presented. While young adults were more accurate than older adults when recalling the associated labels overall, both age groups showed a significant reduction in honesty ratings for the faces associated with scams after the association was made in all experiments. Therefore, these results illustrate that despite associative memory deficits, older adults can adjust their trust ratings for faces based on learning associative information regarding scams and fraud. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2025 APA, all rights reserved).

Midlife is often accompanied by a range of challenges that can heighten the risk of depressive symptoms in middle-aged adults. In this study, we seek to offer a comprehensive understanding of midlife depressive symptoms through a lifespan perspective. Toward that end, we draw on harmonized data from longitudinal studies across 17 nations (the United States, Mexico, China, South Korea, England, and countries in Continental, Mediterranean, and Nordic Europe), comprising a total of 119,534 middle-aged adults (M = 55.5 years at first assessment) born between 1938 and 1974. This approach allows us to examine both broader historical and sociocultural factors, as well as individual characteristics (i.e., gender, socioeconomic status, marital status, and health conditions), in relation to midlife depressive symptoms. Results revealed that middle-aged adults in the United States, England, Continental Europe, China, and Mexico reported higher levels of depressive symptoms compared to Nordic and Mediterranean Europe. Historical improvements were observed in England, where later born middle-aged adults reported fewer depressive symptoms than their earlier born counterparts. Our findings also highlight individual differences that operated consistently across historical time and nations (though with varying effect sizes): Middle-aged adults with lower education levels, those who were separated/divorced, and those with more health conditions reported higher depressive symptoms. Together, our findings highlight that midlife is not a uniform experience but rather differs by individual characteristics and broader sociocultural contexts. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2025 APA, all rights reserved).