Feeling Older and Driving Less: The Effect of Age Identity on Older Adults’ Transition from Driving

Abstract

Background and ObjectivesPrior research examining predictors of older adults’ transition from driving has not considered age-related perceptions, such as age identity, that could shape decisions to limit, or self-regulate, one’s driving. Our study examines this possibility, testing the hypothesis that older (or less youthful) identities predict greater self-regulated driving.Research Design and MethodsUsing two waves of the National Health and Aging Trends Study (NHATS, 2011 and 2015), we run negative binomial regression models predicting the number of self-regulated driving behaviors, as a function of baseline age identity and change in age identity between the waves. Models control for factors shown to predict self-regulated driving, namely sociodemographics, health, and transportation support.ResultsSupporting our hypothesis, we find that older (or less youthful) identities at baseline and greater increases in age identity between the waves predict more self-regulated driving behaviors 4 years later, controlling on these behaviors at baseline. The results held in models controlling for sociodemographics, health, and transportation alternatives, suggesting that age identity exerts an independent effect on self-regulated driving.Discussion and ImplicationsOur study reveals that age identity affects later life driving decisions, contributing to our understanding of the process of transitioning from driving. It also adds to the long list of consequences of age-related perceptions revealed in prior research, much of it focused on health but not behaviors. Directions for future research include examining other age-related perceptions, such as aging anxieties or attitudes, and exploring the likely bidirectional process linking age-related perceptions and driving transitions.

Phone-Related Distracted Walking Injuries as a Function of Age and Walking Environment

“…Furthermore, older adults may also exhibit self-regulating behavior, reducing their engagement with distractions in dangerous environments due to increases in the difficulty of locomotor control. Similar results have been found in contexts of distracted driving, where older adults are less likely to engage in distracted driving than younger adults (Pope et al, 2017), and they also reduce their exposure to dangerous driving environments (Barrett and Gumber, 2019).…”

“…Similar self-regulatory behavior has been found in the context of driving for older drivers who reduced their exposure to dangerous driving scenarios (i.e., raining, foggy, etc.) or phone distraction activities (Barrett and Gumber, 2019;Pope et al, 2017). Further investigation is needed to understand whether self-regulation behavior occurs of phone-related distracted walking for older adults on stairs.…”

A limit of the subjective age bias: Feeling younger to a certain degree, but no more, is beneficial for life satisfaction.

“…Furthermore, an exaggerated subjective age bias may reflect that older adults accept negative age-stereotypes against their age-group or unrealistic evaluations of adults' physical and psychological conditions that might become highly problematic and prevent age adaptive processes (Chasteen & Cary, 2015;Levy et al, 2019;Mock & Eibach, 2011). For example, previous studies among older adults showed that older subjective ages are linked to more self-regulated driving behavior and plans to stop driving, which can be considered useful from an aging perspective (Barrett & Gumber, 2019;Pachana et al, 2017). Alternatively, it is conceivable that feeling extremely young may lead to social rejection in the self-perceived age group, which my take a toll on psychological well-being (Chasteen et al, 2011;DeWall & Bushman, 2011;North & Fiske, 2013).…”

Psychometric study of the Awareness of Age-Related Change (AARC) Short Scale translated to Portuguese, applied to Brazilian older adults

“…The concept Awareness of Age-Related Change (AARC) was introduced in the lifespan psychology and aging literature by Diehl and Wahl, 1 who defined it as a person’s awareness that his/her behavior, level of physical, cognitive and social performance, and ways of experiencing life have changed as a consequence of having grown older, 1 , 2 and not because of disease. The construct aims to enrich the overarching area of subjective aging which also includes concepts such as self-perception of aging, 3 age identity, 4 attitudes toward aging 5 and aging stereotype. 6 Many of these concepts operate mainly at a pre-conscious level, whereas AARC is seen mainly as a conscious reflection upon one’s aging.…”