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THE ASSOCIATION BETWEEN AGEISM AND SUBJECTIVE AGE OF OLDER PEOPLE IN EUROPE

Year 2010, Volume: 2 Issue: 1, 99 - 109, 01.06.2010

Abstract

Background: Stigmata on older people in society remains a big problem in the whole of Europe. It
can lead to a lower self-esteem and is even associated with higher suicide rates. This study
questioned whether the identification with one’s own age group is associated with an individual’s
perceived stigma on the group of 70+, which has been unexamined so far for European citizens.
Method: Data were derived from the European Social Survey (ESS). The sample consisted of 7878
persons aged 70+ stratified by three age groups. Group 1 = 70 – 75, Group 2= 76 – 80 and
Group 3= >80. Independent T-test and Multiple regression analyses were used to examine
influence of perceived stigmata in society on identification with one’s own age group, controlled
for the covariates gender, household’s income, education, subjective general health, limitations in
activities of daily life, marital status, having children living at home and having children not living
at home.
Results: A significant association was found for Group 1 (70 – 75) and Group 2 (76 – 80).
Participants of these age groups, who reported a higher perception of stigmata for older people
(70+), identified themselves less with their age group. No significant effect was found for Group 3
(people 80+).
Conclusion: The results suggest that people older than 80 are less affected by stigmata of society
on old age than younger groups (aged 70 - 80). Future research is necessary to examine the
mechanisms which lead to a lower identification with their age of people aged 70 to 80

References

  • Baltes, P. B. and Baltes, M. M. (1990) Psychological perspectives on successful aging: The model of selective optimization with compensation. In P. B. Baltes and M. M. Baltes (Eds.), Successful aging. Perspectives from behavioral sciences.(pp. 1-34). New York: Cambridge University Press.
  • Barak, B. and Stern, B. (1986) Subjective age correlates: A research note. The Gerontologist, 26 577.
  • Barrett, A. E. (2003) Socioeconomic status and age identity: the role of dimensions of health in the subjective construction of age. Journals of Gerontology 58B, S92-100
  • Barnes-Farrell, J. L. and Piotrowski, M. J. (1989) Worker’s perceptions of discrepancies between chronological age and personal age: You’re only as old as you feel. Journal of Psychology and Aging, 4 376-377.
  • Baum, S.K., Boxley, R.L. (1983) Age identification in the elderly. The Gerontologist, 23 532-537.
  • Bergtson, V. L., Kasschau, P. L. and Ragan, P. K. (1977) The impact of social structure on aging individuals. In. J. E. Birren and K. W. Schaie (Eds). Handbook of the psychology of aging (pp. 359) New York: Van Nostrand Reinhold.
  • Braman, A. C. (2003) You are only as old as you feel: But how do you decide how old you feel?
  • Unpublished dissertation, Department of Psychology, Washington University. Brandtstädter, J. (2002) Searching for paths to successful development and aging:
  • Integratingdevelopmental and action-theoretical perspectives. In L. Pulkkinen and A. Caspi (Eds.), Paths to successful development: Personality in the life course.(pp. 380-408). Cambridge, UK: Cambridge University Press. Bultena, G. L. and Powers, E. A. (1978) Denial of aging: Age identification and reference group orientations. Journal of Gerontology, 33 748-754.
  • Butler, R. N. (1987) Ageism. In: The Encyclopedia of Aging, (pp. 22 – 23). New York: Springer.
  • ESS (2008a) Sampling for the European Social Survey- Round IV: Principles and requirements. ESS. London.
  • ESS (2008b) Round 4: European Social Survey Round 4 Data. Data file edition 1.0. Norwegian
  • Social Science Data Services, Norway – Data Archive and distributor of ESS data. Filipp, S.-H. and Ferring, D. (1989) Zur Alters – Und Bereichsspezifität subjektiven Alterslebens.
  • Zeitschrift für Entwinklungspsychologie und Pädagogische Psychologie 21, 279-293
  • Freund, A. M. and Smith, J. (1999) Content and function of the self-definition in old and very old age. Journal of Gerontology: Psychological Sciences, 54B 55-67.
  • Furstenberg, A.-L. (1989) Older people’s age self-concept. Social Casework, 70 268-275.
  • Furstenberg, A.-L. (2002) Trajectories of aging: Imagined pathways in later life. International
  • Journal of Aging and Human Development, 55 1-24. George, L. K., Mutran, E. J. and Pennybacker, M. R. (1980) The meaning and measurement of age identity. Experimental Aging Research 6 283-298
  • Heckhausen, J. (2002) Social comparisons as prototypical strategies in developmental regulation.
  • In L. Pulkkinen and A. Caspi (Eds.), Paths to successful development: Personality in the life course (pp. 157-190) Cambridge, UK: Cambridge University Press. Heckhausen, J. and Krueger, J. (1993) Developmental expectations for the self and most other people: Age grading in three functions of social comparison. Developmental Psychology, 29 539
  • Hendricks, J. (1987) Age identification. In Maddox, GL (ed.) The Encyclopedia of Ageing.(p. 15) New York: Springer.
  • Kastenbaum, R., Derbin, V., Sabatini, P. and Artt, S. (1972) ‘The Ages of Me’: toward personal and interpersonal definitions of functional aging. Journal of Aging and Human Development, 3 211.
  • Kaufman, G. and Elder, G. H. (2002) Revisiting age identity. A research note. Journal of Aging Studies, 16 169-176.
  • Likert, R. (1932) "A Technique for the Measurement of Attitudes". Archives of Psychology 140 1
  • Linn, M. W. and Hunter, K. (1979) Perception of age in the elderly. Journal of Gerontology 34(1) 52.
  • Markides, K. S. and Boldt, J. S. (1983) A structural modeling approach to the measurement and meaning of cognitive age. Journal of Consumer Research 19 292-301
  • Montepare, L. M. and Lachman, M. E. (1989) ‘You’re only as old as you feel’: self-perceptions of age, fears of aging, and life satisfaction from adolescene to old age. Psychology and Aging 4, 73
  • Nelson, T.D. (ed.) (2002) Ageism, Stereotyping and Prejudice Against Older Persons.Cambridge, MA:MIT Press
  • Neugarten, B. L., Moore, J. W. and Lowe, J. C. (1965) Age norms, age constraints, and adult socialization. American Journal of Sociology, 70 710-717.
  • Oberg, P. and Tornstam, L. (2001) Youthfullness and fitness: identity ideals for all ages? Journal of Aging and Identity 6, 15-29
  • Peters, G. R. (1971) Self-conception of the aged: age identification, and aging. The Gerontologist (4) 69-73.
  • Sherman, S. R. (1994) Changes in age identity. Self perceptions in middle and late life. Journal of Aging Studies, 8 397-412.
  • Staats, S. (1996) Youthfull and older biases as special cases of a self-age optimization bias.
  • International Journal of Aging and Human Development 43, 267-276
  • Uotinen, V. (1998) Age identification: A comparison between Finnish and North- American cultures. International Journal of Aging and Human Development, 46 109-124.
  • Uotinen, V., Rantanen, T. and Suutama, T. (2005) Perceived age as a predictor of old age mortality: A 13 year prospective study. Age and Ageing, 34 368-372.
  • Westerhof, G. J., Barrett, A. E. and Steverink, N. (2003b) Foreever young: a comparison of age identities in the United States and Germany. Research on Aging, 25 366-383.
  • Wilkes, R.E. (1992) A structural modeling approach to the measurement and meaning of cognitive age. Journal of Consumer Research, 19 292-30
  • Table 1. Characteristics of study sample by age group (observed data) Group 1 (N= 3767) Group (N= 2183)
  • Mean S.D. Mean S.D. Mean S.D. Group 3 (N= 1928) Age Gender %) (Women 3 1.7 77.9 1.4 84.6 3.3 8 1 9
  • Household’s total netto income 10) Missing Education (years fulltime education completed) Missing 67 6 4.5 8.7 4.5 8.6 4.6 55 Subjective health Limitations in activities of daily living (1 – 3) 9 0.9 3.1 1.0 3.1 1.0 6 7 8 0.7 1.9 0.8 Marital status (% having partner) Parenthood (% Children living at home) Parenthood (% Children not living at home) 8 6 0 4 7 5 0 S.D.= Standard Deviation
Year 2010, Volume: 2 Issue: 1, 99 - 109, 01.06.2010

Abstract

References

  • Baltes, P. B. and Baltes, M. M. (1990) Psychological perspectives on successful aging: The model of selective optimization with compensation. In P. B. Baltes and M. M. Baltes (Eds.), Successful aging. Perspectives from behavioral sciences.(pp. 1-34). New York: Cambridge University Press.
  • Barak, B. and Stern, B. (1986) Subjective age correlates: A research note. The Gerontologist, 26 577.
  • Barrett, A. E. (2003) Socioeconomic status and age identity: the role of dimensions of health in the subjective construction of age. Journals of Gerontology 58B, S92-100
  • Barnes-Farrell, J. L. and Piotrowski, M. J. (1989) Worker’s perceptions of discrepancies between chronological age and personal age: You’re only as old as you feel. Journal of Psychology and Aging, 4 376-377.
  • Baum, S.K., Boxley, R.L. (1983) Age identification in the elderly. The Gerontologist, 23 532-537.
  • Bergtson, V. L., Kasschau, P. L. and Ragan, P. K. (1977) The impact of social structure on aging individuals. In. J. E. Birren and K. W. Schaie (Eds). Handbook of the psychology of aging (pp. 359) New York: Van Nostrand Reinhold.
  • Braman, A. C. (2003) You are only as old as you feel: But how do you decide how old you feel?
  • Unpublished dissertation, Department of Psychology, Washington University. Brandtstädter, J. (2002) Searching for paths to successful development and aging:
  • Integratingdevelopmental and action-theoretical perspectives. In L. Pulkkinen and A. Caspi (Eds.), Paths to successful development: Personality in the life course.(pp. 380-408). Cambridge, UK: Cambridge University Press. Bultena, G. L. and Powers, E. A. (1978) Denial of aging: Age identification and reference group orientations. Journal of Gerontology, 33 748-754.
  • Butler, R. N. (1987) Ageism. In: The Encyclopedia of Aging, (pp. 22 – 23). New York: Springer.
  • ESS (2008a) Sampling for the European Social Survey- Round IV: Principles and requirements. ESS. London.
  • ESS (2008b) Round 4: European Social Survey Round 4 Data. Data file edition 1.0. Norwegian
  • Social Science Data Services, Norway – Data Archive and distributor of ESS data. Filipp, S.-H. and Ferring, D. (1989) Zur Alters – Und Bereichsspezifität subjektiven Alterslebens.
  • Zeitschrift für Entwinklungspsychologie und Pädagogische Psychologie 21, 279-293
  • Freund, A. M. and Smith, J. (1999) Content and function of the self-definition in old and very old age. Journal of Gerontology: Psychological Sciences, 54B 55-67.
  • Furstenberg, A.-L. (1989) Older people’s age self-concept. Social Casework, 70 268-275.
  • Furstenberg, A.-L. (2002) Trajectories of aging: Imagined pathways in later life. International
  • Journal of Aging and Human Development, 55 1-24. George, L. K., Mutran, E. J. and Pennybacker, M. R. (1980) The meaning and measurement of age identity. Experimental Aging Research 6 283-298
  • Heckhausen, J. (2002) Social comparisons as prototypical strategies in developmental regulation.
  • In L. Pulkkinen and A. Caspi (Eds.), Paths to successful development: Personality in the life course (pp. 157-190) Cambridge, UK: Cambridge University Press. Heckhausen, J. and Krueger, J. (1993) Developmental expectations for the self and most other people: Age grading in three functions of social comparison. Developmental Psychology, 29 539
  • Hendricks, J. (1987) Age identification. In Maddox, GL (ed.) The Encyclopedia of Ageing.(p. 15) New York: Springer.
  • Kastenbaum, R., Derbin, V., Sabatini, P. and Artt, S. (1972) ‘The Ages of Me’: toward personal and interpersonal definitions of functional aging. Journal of Aging and Human Development, 3 211.
  • Kaufman, G. and Elder, G. H. (2002) Revisiting age identity. A research note. Journal of Aging Studies, 16 169-176.
  • Likert, R. (1932) "A Technique for the Measurement of Attitudes". Archives of Psychology 140 1
  • Linn, M. W. and Hunter, K. (1979) Perception of age in the elderly. Journal of Gerontology 34(1) 52.
  • Markides, K. S. and Boldt, J. S. (1983) A structural modeling approach to the measurement and meaning of cognitive age. Journal of Consumer Research 19 292-301
  • Montepare, L. M. and Lachman, M. E. (1989) ‘You’re only as old as you feel’: self-perceptions of age, fears of aging, and life satisfaction from adolescene to old age. Psychology and Aging 4, 73
  • Nelson, T.D. (ed.) (2002) Ageism, Stereotyping and Prejudice Against Older Persons.Cambridge, MA:MIT Press
  • Neugarten, B. L., Moore, J. W. and Lowe, J. C. (1965) Age norms, age constraints, and adult socialization. American Journal of Sociology, 70 710-717.
  • Oberg, P. and Tornstam, L. (2001) Youthfullness and fitness: identity ideals for all ages? Journal of Aging and Identity 6, 15-29
  • Peters, G. R. (1971) Self-conception of the aged: age identification, and aging. The Gerontologist (4) 69-73.
  • Sherman, S. R. (1994) Changes in age identity. Self perceptions in middle and late life. Journal of Aging Studies, 8 397-412.
  • Staats, S. (1996) Youthfull and older biases as special cases of a self-age optimization bias.
  • International Journal of Aging and Human Development 43, 267-276
  • Uotinen, V. (1998) Age identification: A comparison between Finnish and North- American cultures. International Journal of Aging and Human Development, 46 109-124.
  • Uotinen, V., Rantanen, T. and Suutama, T. (2005) Perceived age as a predictor of old age mortality: A 13 year prospective study. Age and Ageing, 34 368-372.
  • Westerhof, G. J., Barrett, A. E. and Steverink, N. (2003b) Foreever young: a comparison of age identities in the United States and Germany. Research on Aging, 25 366-383.
  • Wilkes, R.E. (1992) A structural modeling approach to the measurement and meaning of cognitive age. Journal of Consumer Research, 19 292-30
  • Table 1. Characteristics of study sample by age group (observed data) Group 1 (N= 3767) Group (N= 2183)
  • Mean S.D. Mean S.D. Mean S.D. Group 3 (N= 1928) Age Gender %) (Women 3 1.7 77.9 1.4 84.6 3.3 8 1 9
  • Household’s total netto income 10) Missing Education (years fulltime education completed) Missing 67 6 4.5 8.7 4.5 8.6 4.6 55 Subjective health Limitations in activities of daily living (1 – 3) 9 0.9 3.1 1.0 3.1 1.0 6 7 8 0.7 1.9 0.8 Marital status (% having partner) Parenthood (% Children living at home) Parenthood (% Children not living at home) 8 6 0 4 7 5 0 S.D.= Standard Deviation
There are 41 citations in total.

Details

Other ID JA38FC49FY
Journal Section Articles
Authors

Moritz Hess This is me

Jeroen Dikken This is me

Publication Date June 1, 2010
Published in Issue Year 2010 Volume: 2 Issue: 1

Cite

APA Hess, M., & Dikken, J. (2010). THE ASSOCIATION BETWEEN AGEISM AND SUBJECTIVE AGE OF OLDER PEOPLE IN EUROPE. International Journal of Social Sciences and Humanity Studies, 2(1), 99-109.
AMA Hess M, Dikken J. THE ASSOCIATION BETWEEN AGEISM AND SUBJECTIVE AGE OF OLDER PEOPLE IN EUROPE. IJ-SSHS. June 2010;2(1):99-109.
Chicago Hess, Moritz, and Jeroen Dikken. “THE ASSOCIATION BETWEEN AGEISM AND SUBJECTIVE AGE OF OLDER PEOPLE IN EUROPE”. International Journal of Social Sciences and Humanity Studies 2, no. 1 (June 2010): 99-109.
EndNote Hess M, Dikken J (June 1, 2010) THE ASSOCIATION BETWEEN AGEISM AND SUBJECTIVE AGE OF OLDER PEOPLE IN EUROPE. International Journal of Social Sciences and Humanity Studies 2 1 99–109.
IEEE M. Hess and J. Dikken, “THE ASSOCIATION BETWEEN AGEISM AND SUBJECTIVE AGE OF OLDER PEOPLE IN EUROPE”, IJ-SSHS, vol. 2, no. 1, pp. 99–109, 2010.
ISNAD Hess, Moritz - Dikken, Jeroen. “THE ASSOCIATION BETWEEN AGEISM AND SUBJECTIVE AGE OF OLDER PEOPLE IN EUROPE”. International Journal of Social Sciences and Humanity Studies 2/1 (June 2010), 99-109.
JAMA Hess M, Dikken J. THE ASSOCIATION BETWEEN AGEISM AND SUBJECTIVE AGE OF OLDER PEOPLE IN EUROPE. IJ-SSHS. 2010;2:99–109.
MLA Hess, Moritz and Jeroen Dikken. “THE ASSOCIATION BETWEEN AGEISM AND SUBJECTIVE AGE OF OLDER PEOPLE IN EUROPE”. International Journal of Social Sciences and Humanity Studies, vol. 2, no. 1, 2010, pp. 99-109.
Vancouver Hess M, Dikken J. THE ASSOCIATION BETWEEN AGEISM AND SUBJECTIVE AGE OF OLDER PEOPLE IN EUROPE. IJ-SSHS. 2010;2(1):99-109.