Programm des Projektbezogenen Personenaustauschs

Subjective views on aging have long been established as predicting major long-term outcomes several years if not decades later, including increased hazards for physical illnesses, impaired mental health, dementia, and mortality. At the same time, we know little about how such associations evolve. Here, we tackle one presumable pathway by targeting the interplay between views of aging and cognitive functioning. The proposed study holds promise by comprehensively examining these questions at a number of different layers. First, rather than making use of cross-sectional snapshots, we will be using long-term longitudinal data that allow tracking developmental changes in the two domains of life and how these are intertwined. Second, we will be considering multiple key indicators of both views of aging (e.g., subjective age, attitudes towards aging, awareness of age-related change) and cognitive functioning (e.g., processing speed, executive functioning). This comparative approach will allow us to identify those facets of the larger construct that are and are not intertwined with one another. Third, we will apply advanced statistical models that move beyond what has typically been possible in the past by separating between-person age differences from within-person aging-related changes and thoroughly examining lead-lag dynamics between the two areas of life. Finally, we will use three independently collected longitudinal data sets in Australia and Germany that will provide us with the unique possibility to test the robustness of findings across multiple contexts and identify possible moderators, including age period (e.g., midlife vs. old age vs. very old age), physical health (e.g., chronic diseases), and mental health (e.g., depressive symptoms). Insights gained from the proposed project will inform targeted intervention on a modifiable resource that has major implications for the many different ways in which people are aging.