Correlates Of Resilience In The Context Of Social Isolation In Seniors (CRISIS)

Presentation (2021, April 21)

Longitudinal Associations between Perceived Stress and Views on Aging: Evidence for Reciprocal Relations

in Psychology and Aging (2021), 36(6), 752-766

The effects of age stereotypes on physical and mental health are mediated by self-perceptions of aging

in Journals of Gerontology. Series B, Psychological Sciences and Social Sciences (2021), 76(5), 845-857

Digitale Kommunikation im Alter – Erste Ergebnisse der CRISIS-Studie

Scientific Conference (2020, November 10)

In Folge der Kontaktbeschränkungen und Maßnahmen der sozialen Distanzierung zur Eindämmung der Corona Pandemie wurde vielfach von einem vermehrten Gebrauch digitaler Medien zur Aufrechterhaltung sozialer Kontakte berichtet. Die vorliegende Studie liefert erste Hinweise darauf, inwiefern sich das Kommunikationsverhalten älterer Menschen während der COVID-19 Krise verändert hat, wie der Gebrauch verschiedener Kommunikationsmittel mit der Reduktion von Einsamkeit und sozialer Isolation zusammenhängt und ob digitale Medien traditionelle Formen der Kommunikation verdrängen oder ergänzen. Im Juni 2020 wurden im Rahmen des vom FNR Luxemburg geförderten CRISIS-Projekts N = 611 in Privathaushalten lebende Personen im Alter zwischen 60 und 98 Jahren zu ihrem Erleben während der COVID-19 Krise befragt. Die Ergebnisse zeigen, dass das Telefon insgesamt zwar weiterhin das wichtigste Kommunikationsmittel älterer Menschen bleibt, jedoch nehmen digitale Medien insbesondere in der Gruppe der 60-69-jährigen einen wichtigen Stellenwert ein, um mit anderen in Kontakt zu bleiben. Dabei reduzierte ein gestiegener Gebrauch digitaler Medien (wie auch traditioneller Medien) das Gefühl, nicht genug Gesellschaft zu haben. Außerdem scheinen neue Arten der Kommunikation traditionelle Arten in unserer Zielgruppe nicht zu ersetzen, sondern sie ergänzen sich gegenseitig. Die Ergebnisse werden mit Bezug auf Maßnahmen zur Reduktion sozialer Isolation und Einsamkeit im Alter und im Kontext von COVID-19 diskutiert.

Die Corona-Pandemie und die ältere Bevölkerung: Psychologische Aspekte

in Mein, Georg; Pause, Johannes (Eds.) Self and Society in the Corona Crisis. Perspectives from the Humanities and Social Sciences (2020)

Genetic and environmental variation in political orientation in adolescence and early adulthood: A Nuclear Twin Family Analysis.

in Journal of Personality and Social Psychology (2020), 118(4), 762-766

Social Isolation, Loneliness and Well-being in the Covid-19 Crisis: A Look at Nursing Home Residents in Luxembourg

in Innovation in Aging (2020), 4(Supplement_1), 957-958

During the COVID-19 crisis, older adults, in particular those with underlying health conditions, were at a special risk for severe illness and mortality, and efforts were made to shield them from exposure to the virus. While measures of physical distancing and reduction of in-person contacts were necessary to prevent contraction, they hit residents of care settings particularly hard since visits from family and friends were banned and the risk for loneliness and social isolation increased. In the present study, we therefore gave the voice to nursing home residents and focused on their perceived loneliness and subjective well-being during the crisis. We were both interested in difficulties but also in personal resources and resilience factors that might protect older adults from negative mental health outcomes and help to maintain subjective well-being. A sample of N = 76 residents in care homes in the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg were interviewed by use of a standardized questionnaire during July and August 2020. Participants reported on their loneliness and life satisfaction during the crisis, on their self-regulatory strategies as well as on personal and social resources (e.g. self-efficacy, generativity, social support). Data will be analyzed by use of regression analysis to predict loneliness and well-being by risk and protective factors. Results will be discussed applying a life-span developmental and systemic perspective to understand the mutual interplay of individual, social and institutional resources to mitigate negative side effects of protective measures on care home residents.

Gesund Altern - Ergebnisse einer Repräsentativumfrage zu Altersbildern junger Erwachsener

Report (2020)

Views on Ageing - A Lifespan Approach

in European Journal of Ageing (2020), 17

Examining the Relation Among Subjective Age and Working Memory in Old Age on a High-Frequency Basis Across 7 Days

in Innovation in Aging (2020), 4(Supplement_1), 598-598

While increasing longitudinal evidence suggests that negative age views accelerate cognitive decline and increase dementia risk, we know little about such co-variance dynamics on a daily basis. We make use of subjective age and working memory performance data obtained six times a day over seven consecutive days as people went about their daily routines from 123 young-old (aged 66-69 years, 47.2% women) and 42 old-old (aged 86-90 years, 55.8% women) adults. Notably, multilevel models revealed considerably-sized short-term intra-individual variation of subjective age and working memory within days and these short-term within-day fluctuations in subjective age and working memory were coupled as expected. Hence, increased subjective age went along with lowered working memory confirming previous research. However, the respective between-day associations appeared reversed. Given this evidence of correlated short-term variability, we also discuss implications of different change dynamics that might explain moment-to-moment versus day-to-day associations between subjective age and working memory.

SOCIAL ROLES AND PERSONALITY IN LATER LIFE

in Innovation in Aging (2019), 3(Supplement_1), 729-730

Despite considerable stability of the Big Five personality traits, there is evidence for personality plasticity and change across the lifespan. In younger years, the investment in social roles, such as entering worklife or starting a family has been shown to drive personality change. With regard to personality in later life, the investigation of social roles has so far been neglected. A questionnaire was developed to assess a large number of social roles that can be assumed in the second half of life. N = 306 participants aged 50 to 86 years reported on their social roles and rated their personality traits. Results show that assuming and investing in certain social roles (e.g. friend, retiree, volunteer) mediated the effects of age on the Big Five, especially for the oldest participants and in the domains openness and extraversion. The findings support the importance of social roles for personality also in later life.

Multidimensional views on aging and old age.

in Danan, Gu; Dupre, Matthew E (Eds.) Encyclopedia of Gerontology and Population Aging (2019)

VIEWS ON AGING: NEW PERSPECTIVES FOR THEORY AND RESEARCH

in Innovation in Aging (2019), 3(Supplement_1), 786-786

Over the past 20 years, research on views on aging has substantiated their importance for successful development and sustained quality of life over the full length of the life span. However, a deep understanding of the origins of views on aging and the underlying processes of their lifespan development and manifestation is lacking. Since 2017, the scientific network “Images of Aging” funded by the German Research Foundation (http://www.health.uni-konstanz.de/images-of-aging) assembles national and international renowned experts in the field. The network engages in empirical clarifications on both the distinctness and validity of the construct (contribution of Klusmann et al.) as well as in critically reviewing terminology and measures of views on aging (contribution of Notthoff et al.). The network aims to help clarifying the dynamic interplay of determinants and outcomes in the context of health (contribution of Wolff et al.) as well as disentangling intra- and intergenerational stereotypic perceptions (contribution of Kornadt et al.). Both of these are understudied issues with highly practical implications for two of the largest demographic challenges: shaping the coexistence of generations as well as providing adequate health care supply. Integrating both pertinent theoretical approaches and empirical findings the network regards views on aging under a lifespan perspective. Recently, it suggested three core principles of views on aging regarding lifelong bio-psycho-social development, their multidimensional nature, and their impact across life. These considerations provide a background for an integrative discussion of the symposium’s contributions.

ATTITUDES TOWARD OWN AGING AND PERSONALITY IN LATER LIFE: EXAMINATION OF BIDIRECTIONALITY OVER 20 YEARS

in Innovation in Aging (2019), 3(Supplement_1), 385-385

Big Five personality traits are assumed to be linked with attitudes toward own aging (ATOA). Both constructs have central importance for the aging process, it is thus important to comprehensively address their mutual connection over time. We used data from the ILSE study, a longitudinal study with four measurement occasions, spanning 20 years and including two participant cohorts (n = 501; born 1950-52 and n = 500; born 1930-32). Dual latent change score models showed that personality was longitudinally related to change in ATOA: Lower Neuroticism, higher Conscientiousness, and higher Openness predicted more positive attitudes; the effect for Extraversion varied by time. Furthermore, the role of personality seems to be confined to certain sensitive periods in midlife and early old age. ATOA had only marginal longitudinal impact on personality. Our results shed light on the developmental co-dynamics of personality and subjective perceptions of aging across the second half of life.

YOUNG PEOPLE FEEL WISE, OLD PEOPLE FEEL ENERGETIC: COMPARING AGE STEREOTYPES AND SELF-EVALUATIONS ACROSS ADULTHOOD

in Innovation in Aging (2019), 3(Supplement_1), 787-787

Using questionnaire data from the MIDUS study (N=6.325) we examined the extent to which people in their late 20s, 40s, and 60s think that positive stereotypic “old” and “young” characteristics describe themselves, their age peers, and other age groups. A constellation of “old” characteristics (e.g., wise, caring, calm) was seen as more descriptive of older adults, while a constellation of “young” characteristics (e.g., healthy, energetic) was seen as more descriptive of younger adults. Self-evaluations were highly positive and largely consistent across age groups. Compared to their age peers, younger adults saw themselves as having as many positive “young” characteristics but more positive “old” characteristics whereas older adults saw themselves as having more positive “young” characteristics but fewer positive “old” characteristics. The results support the stability of the aging self despite the existence of age stereotypes and the role of negative age stereotypes as a frame of reference for making self-evaluations.

SUBJECTIVE AGING: SOMETHING UNIQUE OR JUST ANOTHER EXPRESSION OF GENERAL SELF-BELIEFS?

in Innovation in Aging (2019), 3(Supplement_1), 786-787

Using data from the German Ageing Survey (adults aged 40‒85), this study tested the convergent and discriminant validity of subjective aging measures by comparing three different measures of subjective aging with one another and relating them to established measures of general self-beliefs (optimism, self-efficacy, subjective health) and subjective well-being (depression, affect). Correlations between subjective aging measures ranged from ‒.61 (amongst general self-perceptions of aging measures) to ‒.09, with subjective age being least related to the other measures. The highest overlap was observed between optimism and global self-perceptions of aging (.69) and it was for these global self-perceptions that the highest amount of variance could be explained by correlates in a regression analysis (R-square=.55). In contrast, only 10% of variance could be explained for subjective age. Our results underline the merit of taking the multidimensional nature of subjective aging into account since global measures appear less distinct from general personality traits.

Subjective remaining lifetime and concreteness of the future as differential predictors of preparation for age-related changes

in EUROPEAN JOURNAL OF AGEING (2018), 15(1), 67-76

Demographic changes have been linked to the expectation of cuts in government-provided social security services, emphasizing individual responsibility to prepare for old age and concomitant challenges and changes. Accordingly, the identification of psychological variables predicting preparation is a matter of theoretical as well as practical importance. We thus consider different aspects of a person's future time as theoretically prominent psychological predictors of preparation. The subjectively perceived quantity of remaining lifetime, the concreteness of future time, and preparation for life domains indicative of an active third age as well as of a more dependent fourth age were assessed in a longitudinal study in a core sample of N = 593 participants (30-80 years old at T (1)) at two measurement occasions 4 years apart. The quantity of subjective remaining lifetime predicted subsequent changes in preparation, but this effect was restricted to preparation for the fourth age. In contrast, a more open and concrete outlook on ones' personal future predicted changes in preparation for an active third age. Our findings highlight the importance of distinguishing between different aspects of future time-its quantity versus its relation to goals and action plans-when predicting specific facets of developmental self-regulation.

Subjective Age Across the Life Span: A Differentiated, Longitudinal Approach

in JOURNALS OF GERONTOLOGY SERIES B-PSYCHOLOGICAL SCIENCES AND SOCIAL SCIENCES (2018), 73(5), 767-777

Objectives: How old people feel compared with their actual age, their so-called "subjective age" (SA), is a central indicator of individual aging experiences and predicts developmental outcomes, such as health and mortality, across the life span. We investigated the multidimensional structure of SA with respect to specific life domains, focusing on domain differences as well as age group differences and age-related changes. Furthermore, we inspected the relationship between SA and how people perceive their future as old persons (future self-views). Method: We assessed these variables in a sample of 593 persons who completed a questionnaire at two time points 4 years apart (baseline-T 1; follow up-T 2) and who were aged 30-80 years at T 1. Results: SA differed across life domains and age groups, and the amount of change in SA across time was also contingent on life domain. Future self-views at T 1 predicted subsequent changes in SA, with more negative self-views being associated with an increase in SA, especially for middle-aged participants for whom the transition to older age is imminent. Discussion: Our results provide support for a multidimensional view of subjective aging experiences. They highlight the importance of a differentiated investigation of subjective aging constructs and their relations for understanding how these variables shape the aging process.

Sound Body, Sound Mind? The Interrelation Between Health Change and Personality Change in Old Age

in EUROPEAN JOURNAL OF PERSONALITY (2018), 32(1), 30-45

Personality development is characterized by increasing maturation, that is, people become more conscientious, agreeable and emotionally stable as they age. In late life, however, these trends seem to be reversed. Because many changes and transitions in older age are related to health, we investigated correlated changes in health problems and personality traits, the sources of health changes in later life and the directionality of effects. Our sample consisted of older adult twins, aged 64-85years at time 1 (n=410; 135 male/275 female; 134 monozygotic/63 dizygotic twin pairs), assessed at two different time points about five years apart, and we ran bivariate latent change and latent change twin model analyses. Increasing health problems were associated with decreases in agreeableness, extraversion, emotional stability and conscientiousness. Changes in health problems were only due to environmental influences, implying that the association between health and personality changes was exclusively environmental. Directional effects were largely absent, but health and personality were significantly related at the second measurement occasion (age 69-89years). Our results support the link between health change and personality change in late life and spark the assumption of normative personality adaptations to deterioration of health status as a means of developmental regulation. Copyright (c) 2017 European Association of Personality Psychology

Work context and personality development across adulthood

in Pachana, Nancy A. (Ed.) Encyclopedia of Geropsychology (2017)

Getting What You Expect? Future Self-Views Predict the Valence of Life Events

in Developmental Psychology (2017), 53(3), 567-580

Views on aging have been shown to predict the occurrence of events related to physical health in previous studies. Extending these findings, we investigated the relation between aging-related future self-views and life events in a longitudinal study across a range of different life domains. Participants (N = 593, age range 30 -80 years at t(1)) completed a survey at 2 measurement occasions that were separated by a 4-year interval (t1: 2009, t(2): 2013), providing information on domain-specific future self-views as well as on life events that had occurred in the respective domains in-between the 2 measurement occasions. Future self-views measured at t1 predicted the occurrence of subsequent life events corresponding in valence: Participants with more positive (negative) future self-views in a domain reported relatively more positive (negative) life events in the respective domain. In addition, individual differences in future self-views were reinforced by life events that were consistent with these self-views. Accordingly, future self-views can be interpreted in terms of self-fulfilling prophecies: They are related to the likelihood of encountering and remembering life events that further confirm the aging-related future self-views from which they originate. Our study demonstrates the importance of future self-views on aging for development-related outcomes that have an especially high impact on peoples' lives.

Context Influences on the Subjective Experience of Aging: The Impact of Culture and Domains of Functioning

in GERONTOLOGIST (2017), 57(2), 127-137

Background and Objectives: Attitudes about aging influence how people feel about their aging and affect psychological and health outcomes in later life. Given cross-cultural variability in such attitudes, the subjective experience of aging (e.g., subjective age [ SA]) may also vary, potentially accounting for culture-specific patterns of aging-related outcomes. Our study explored cultural variation in SA and its determinants. Research Design and Methods: American (N = 569), Chinese (N = 492), and German (N = 827) adults aged 30-95 years completed a questionnaire that included instruments measuring basic demographic information, SA, beliefs about thresholds of old age, control over life changes, and age dependency of changes in eight different life domains (i.e., family, work). Results: Analyses revealed consistency across cultures in the domain-specificity of SA, but differences in the amount of shared variance across domains (e.g., Chinese adults exhibited greater homogeneity across domains than did Americans and Germans). Cultural differences were also observed in levels of SA in some domains, which were attenuated by domain-specific beliefs (e.g., control). Interestingly, beliefs about aging accounted for more cultural variation in SA than did sociodemographic factors (e.g., education). Discussion and Implications: Our results demonstrate that subjective perceptions of aging and everyday functioning may be best understood from a perspective focused on context (i.e., culture, life domain). Given its important relation to functioning, examination of cross-cultural differences in the subjective experience of aging may highlight factors that determine variations in aging-related outcomes that then could serve as targets of culture-specific interventions promoting well-being in later life.

How do views on aging affect health outcomes in adulthood and late life? Explanations for an established connection

in Developmental Review (2017), 46

Personal views on aging, such as age stereotypes and subjective aging, can affect various health outcomes in later life. For the past 20 years or so, a large body of experimental and longitudinal work has provided ample evidence for this connection. Thus, it seems timely to better understand the pathways of this linkage. The majority of existing studies has either focused on age stereotypes or subjective aging. This theoretical paper provides a systematic comparison of major theoretical approaches that offer explanations through which different views on aging may affect health. After a short review of findings on the short- and long-term effects of different views on aging, we describe theoretical approaches that provide explanations of underlying mechanisms for the effect of both uni- and multidimensional views on aging on health outcomes. We compare the specific characteristics of these approaches, provide a heuristic framework and outline recommendations for future research routes. A better understanding of the impact of different views on aging on health outcomes is not only relevant for basic research in life-span developmental psychology, geropsychology and health psychology, it has also implications for intervention research and public health practices. (C) 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Do age stereotypes as social role expectations for older adults influence personality development?

in JOURNAL OF RESEARCH IN PERSONALITY (2016), 60

Age stereotypes as social role expectations for older adults were hypothesized to influence personality development in later life for specific stereotype domain x personality trait combinations. N = 965 participants aged 50-60 from the Midlife Development in the U.S. (MIDUS) study provided ratings about "people in their late sixties" in four domains at T-1 and completed a personality questionnaire at T-1 and at T-2 ten years later. Personality at T-2 was regressed on age stereotypes and personality at baseline. Age stereotypes in the domains Family/Relationships and Wisdom were related to changes in both Agreeableness and Extraversion over ten years. The findings provide tentative support for the role of positive age stereotypes in personality development in older age. (C) 2015 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

PREPARATION FOR AGE-RELATED CHANGES-CROSS CULTURAL DIFFERENCES AND DETERMINANTS

in GERONTOLOGIST (2016), 56(3), 657-657

Implicit and Explicit Age Stereotypes for Specific Life Domains Across the Life Span: Distinct Patterns and Age Group Differences

in Experimental Aging Research (2016), 42(2), 195-211

Background/Study Context: Drawing on research that shows the importance of age stereotypes across the life span, the authors investigated domain-specific implicit and explicit age stereotypes in different age groups. Methods: Implicit (Implicit Association Test [IAT]; Greenwald, McGhee, & Schwartz, 1998, Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 74, 1464-1480) and explicit age stereotypes were assessed for the domains of family and health in a sample of N=90 younger, middle-aged, and older adults. Results: Overall, age stereotypes were negative for the health domain but not for the family domain. Distinct patterns of age group differences emerged depending on domain and assessment method. In the family domain, older participants held the least positive explicit age stereotypes, whereas implicit stereotypes in this domain were most positive for this age group compared with the young and middle-aged groups. For the health domain, implicit and explicit age associations indicated that middle-aged participants showed the most negative age-associations. Conclusions: These findings suggest that implicit and explicit age stereotypes in different life domains represent largely independent constructs. Differential age group effects are assumed to reflect the result of accommodative and assimilative processes that are used to cope with age-related changes. Implications for future studies of implicit and explicit age stereotypes and their influence on developmental regulation are discussed.

The Impact of Age Stereotypes on Source Monitoring in Younger and Older Adults

in PSYCHOLOGY AND AGING (2016), 31(8), 875-889

In 2 experiments, we examined reliance on age stereotypes when reconstructing the sources of statements. Two sources presented statements (half typical for a young adult, half for an old adult). Afterward, the sources' ages-23 and 70 years-were revealed and participants completed a source-monitoring task requiring attribution of statements to the sources. Multinomial model-based analyses revealed no age-typicality effect on source memory; however, age-typicality biased source-guessing: When not remembering the source, participants predominantly guessed the source for whose age the statement was typical. Thereby, people retrospectively described the sources as having made more statements that fit with stereotypes about their age group than they had truly made. In Experiment 1, older (60-84 years) participants' guessing bias was stronger than younger (17-26 years) participants', but they also had poorer source memory. Furthermore, older adults with better source memory were less biased than those with poorer source memory. Similarly, younger adults' age-stereotype reliance was larger when source memory was impaired in Experiment 2. Thus, age stereotypes bias source attributions, and individuals with poor source memory are particularly prone to this bias, which may contribute to the maintenance of age stereotypes over time.

Hope for the Best, Prepare for the Worst? Future Self-Views and Preparation for Age-Related Changes

in PSYCHOLOGY AND AGING (2015), 30(4), 967-976

Extending research on the impact of views on aging and developmental regulation across the life span, we tested the hypothesis that more positive views of oneself as an older person predict more preparation for age-related changes. Drawing on recent evidence regarding the domain specificity of aging-related developmental processes, we assumed this relationship to be moderated by the relevance of preparation in different life domains for different age groups. We investigated these research questions in a longitudinal study that assessed future self-views and preparation for different life domains in a sample covering a large part of the adult life span. Findings supported our hypotheses: More positive/negative personal views of one's own aging at T1 predicted subsequent increases/decreases in preparation, with influences being strongest for those domains in which relevant age-related changes are expected to occur for the respective age groups. Our study provides additional evidence for the idea that views on aging shape development, identifying age-related provision making as an important mediating process. Furthermore, our findings highlight the added value of a domain-specific approach that takes the differential relevance of life domains and age-related developmental tasks into account.

Preparation for old age in different life domains Dimensions and age differences

in INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF BEHAVIORAL DEVELOPMENT (2014), 38(3), 228-238

We investigated preparation for age-related changes from a multidimensional, life span perspective and administered a newly developed questionnaire to a large sample aged 30-80 years. Preparing for age-related changes was organized by life domains, with domain-specific types of preparation addressing obstacles and opportunities in the respective domains. Preparing for a third (focusing on activities, leisure, work, fitness, appearance) and a fourth age (focusing on emergencies, dependence/independence, housing, financial arrangements) emerged as superordinate categories of preparation. Different age gradients were obtained for the factors, the former peaking around the age of 65, whereas the latter increased linearly up to the age of 80. Furthermore, preparation factors were characterized by distinct personality profiles. The findings attest to the importance of a differentiated view on preparation for age-related changes and its relevance across the life span.

Multiple standards of aging: gender-specific age stereotypes in different life domains

in EUROPEAN JOURNAL OF AGEING (2013), 10(4), 335-344

Whereas it is often stated that aging might have more negative consequences for the evaluation of women compared to men, evidence for this assumption is mixed. We took a differentiated look at age stereotypes of men and women, assuming that the life domain in which older persons are rated moderates gender differences in age stereotypes. A sample of 298 participants aged 20-92 rated 65-year-old men and women on evaluative statements in eight different life domains. Furthermore, perceptions of gender-and domain-specific age-related changes were assessed by comparing the older targets to 45-year-old men and women, respectively. The results speak in favor of the domain specificity of evaluative asymmetries in age stereotypes for men and women, and imply that an understanding of gendered perceptions of aging requires taking into account the complexities of domain-specific views on aging.

Internalization of Age Stereotypes Into the Self-Concept via Future Self-Views: A General Model and Domain-Specific Differences

in PSYCHOLOGY AND AGING (2012), 27(1), 164-172

We investigated a pathway through which age stereotypes (AS) become internalized into the self. Domain-specific AS, as well as future self-views (FS) and current self-views (CS), were assessed in a sample of middle-aged and older adults. AS were positively related to CS and this effect was mediated via FS. These relations were stronger for older persons, indicating that the internalization process depends on a self-categorization as being old. A comparison of life domains revealed that an age-dependent internalization of AS emerged mainly for those domains in which age-related changes are expected to occur during later phases of life.

Dimensionen und Deutungsmuster des Alterns: Vorstellungen vom Altern, Altsein und der Lebensgestaltung im Alter.

in ZEITSCHRIFT FUR GERONTOLOGIE UND GERIATRIE (2011), 44(5), 291-296

Attitudes about older people and being old develop in the early and middle phases of life and influence the subsequent aging process. Because aging processes vary across different domains of life and functioning, one cannot assume unanimously negative or positive attitudes towards old age and aging. Thus, in the psychological part of the project Zones of Transition ("Zonen des Ubergangs"), age stereotypes and views of the self in old age were assessed in different life domains and for different age groups, and their relation to wellbeing and the self-concept was investigated. The project also focused on the analysis of attitudes towards one's personal way of living in old age. A questionnaire was developed that assesses those attitudes on the basis of the dimensions "active commitment" and "pleasure and leisure". Our results support a multidimensional conception of attitudes towards aging and way of living in old age as well as of their influence on development across the lifespan.

The moderating role of working memory load on affective attentional processes in health anxiety

in ZEITSCHRIFT FUR KLINISCHE PSYCHOLOGIE UND PSYCHOTHERAPIE (2009), 38(3), 194-202

Background: Cognitive-behavioral models of health anxiety propose selective attention as an important factor in the development and maintenance of the disorder. However, experimental evidence for this assumption is equivocal. It is possible that subjects with sub-threshold health anxiety are able to control attention to threat stimuli (cognitive compensation hypothesis). Simultaneous working memory load (WML) may be a factor restricting this control and increasing the attentional bias. Objectives: The aim of the current study was to investigate the cognitive compensation hypothesis for health anxiety in a student analog sample. Method: An emotional Stroop task (EST) with symptom and illness words was administered to students with elevated HA (N = 27), elevated depression (DY; N = 29), and controls (CG; N = 28). Compared to the standard condition, WML was increased by simultaneous rehearsing of a number. Results: A stronger attentional bias toward symptom words for the health anxious participants compared to the other two groups was only apparent in the no WML condition at the beginning of the experiment. Contrary to our assumptions, this group difference disappeared in the high WML condition. Conclusions: There was no experimental evidence for the cognitive compensation hypothesis in this study. WML might reduce the threat potential of symptom words for health anxious participants. This moderating role of WML in the context of affective attentional processes is in line with recent findings in emotion research.