Revisiting age identity - A research note

Using data from 666 Midwesterners. we reexamine the issue of age identity. We consider five dimensions of age identity-subjective age, others' view of one's age, desired age, desired longevity, and perceived old age. We find that people believe that others think they are the age they feel rather than their actual age. Findings also suggest that "old age" is thought to begin in the mid-seventies. Finally, although subjective age increases as people age, it is not a one-to-one correspondence. Rather people feel relatively younger than their age as they get older. (C) 2002 Elsevier Science Inc. All rights reserved.