The effects of social comparisons on subjective age and self-rated health

Abstract

Older adults consistently report young subjective age and provide high ratings of their subjective health. The current research examined which social comparisons older adults make when they assess their subjective age and health, as well as the effects of experimentally manipulated social comparisons on these assessments. In Study 1, 146 participants (aged 60 and over) reported to whom they compared themselves when assessing their subjective age or health. In Study 2, 100 participants (aged 60 and over) reported their subjective age and health after receiving feedback that compared them to younger adults or to their peers. Study 1 shows that participants compared themselves primarily to their peer group. Yet, individuals who selected a younger comparison group when assessing subjective age reported a younger subjective age, better self-rated health and more positive expectations regarding ageing relative to those who selected their peers as a comparison group. No equivalent differences emerged in any of the measures when participants were divided by their selection of comparison group after providing their self-rated health ratings. In Study 2, feedback that emphasised the performance of younger people led to reports of younger subjective age relative to feedback that emphasised peer performance, with no equivalent difference for self-rated health. These findings help explain why older adults feel younger and healthier than they actually are. We suggest that older adults use social comparisons as a strategy that protects them from the negative effects of ageing on self-perception.

Occupational Health of Education Personnel—The Role of Job Crafting and Other Control Strategies on Healthy Ageing at Work

“…Positive reappraisal is an established coping strategy for the ageing process for the older population [ 52 ]. Moreover, the incremental validity of downward social comparison was also supported from our findings and is consistent with previous studies [ 42 , 48 ]. Based on the perspectives from the MTD to explain why positive reappraisal and downward social comparison as secondary control strategies play key roles among middle-aged teachers, secondary control increased in midlife and reached its highest level in older age to enhance primary control [ 5 , 32 ].…”

“…A concept applicable to selective primary control is ‘job crafting’, proposed by Wrzesniewski and Dutton [ 48 ], where job crafting is defined as self-initiated changes in job characteristics, job relationships, and job meaning [ 7 ]. Kooij et al [ 29 ] proposed three dimensions of middle-aged job crafting: Accommodative crafting refers to regulating losses, such as hiring an assistant; Developmental crafting refers to learning new skills or growth, such as attending training to sharpen skills and taking tough challenges; and Utilisation crafting refers to utilising existing skills and knowledge, such as focusing on personal strengths and interests.…”

“…Du et al [ 42 ] also found that social comparison had a positive relationship with their well-being among older adults. Sayag and Kavé [ 48 ] found that older adults who selected their peers as a comparison group reported better health status than those who selected younger adults. Hall et al [ 43 ] found that downgrading goal importance predicted a higher level of health status.…”

The Mood of the Silver Economy: A Data Science Analysis of the Mood States of Older Adults and the Implications on their Wellbeing

“…Focus Group 3 drew on examples of older adults in their families and social circles, realizing what might be to come for them. These participants were more likely to look for comparisons within the group to reflect on their own ageing process, as Sayag and Kavé have suggested [59]. Fig.…”

Показатели И Каналы Получения Информации О Состоянии Здоровья Работников По Фазам Жизненного Цикла

“…У работников старших возрастных групп, как правило, более широкий круг общения. Когда они сравнивают себя с представителями более молодых возрастных групп, оценки субъективного здоровья более высокие, чем при социальном сравнении с коллегами своей возрастной когорты [16].…”