Decoupling Health and Negative Affect in Late Adulthood - Self-Perceptions of Aging as a Psychological Buffer

Sep 28, 2026

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This study revisits the paradox of well-being using a 20-year longitudinal dataset to test whether self-perceptions of aging (SPA), as a modifiable psychological resource, buffer the effects of declining health on emotional well-being in midlife and later adulthood. Data from the ILSE include cohorts followed from ages 60–80 and 40–60. Negative affect (Zung Depression Scale) and objectively assessed health were modeled with latent growth curves to test SPA moderation. SPA moderated the health–negative affect link only in the older cohort, indicating weaker emotional impact of health decline among individuals with more positive SPA. Results remained robust after controlling for sociodemographic and personality characteristics. The findings support SPA as a driver of emotional resilience and suggest SPA-focused interventions to promote well-being in aging populations.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryResearch & Report

FormatPDF

Pages1

Reading Time3 min

AccessFree to download

Objectives

Methods

Measures

Analysis

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Conclusions

1224 Innovation in Aging, 2025, Vol. 9, No. S2 Abstract citation ID: igaf122.4093 DECOUPLING HEALTH AND NEGATIVE AFFECT IN LATE ADULTHOOD: SELF-PERCEPTIONS OF AGING AS A PSYCHOLOGICAL BUFFER Han-yun Tseng1, Manfred Diehl2, Stephen Aichele2, Hans-Werner Wahl3, and Oliver Schilling4, 1. University of Colorado, Aurora, Colorado, United States, 2. Colorado State University, Fort Collins, Colorado, United States, 3. Heidelberg University, Heidelberg, Baden-Wurttemberg, Germany, 4. Heidelberg University, Germany, Heidelberg, BadenWurttemberg, Germany Objectives: This study revisited the paradox of well-being ina 20-year longitudinal dataset, testing whether self-perceptions of aging (SPA), a modifiable psychological resource, buffer the impact of declining health on emotional well-being in midlife and later adulthood. Methods: Data were drawn from the Interdisciplinary Longitudinal Study of Adult Development and Aging (ILSE), which followed participants from age 60 to 80 (C30 cohort) and age 40 to 60 years (C50 cohort) . Negative affect was measured using four longitudinally invariant items from the Zung Depression Scale; health was objectively assessed by physicians; SPA was measured by the Attitudes Toward Own Aging scale (ATOA) . Latent growth curve models tested longitudinal associations and SPA moderation. Results: Health declined significantly in both cohorts, whereas negative affect remained stable, consistent with the paradox of well-being. SPA significantly moderated the health-affect relationship, but only in the older cohort (C30 cohort). Specifically, in older individuals with more positive SPA, the association between health decline and negative affect was significantly weaker compared to those with more negative SPA. No moderation effect of SPA on health-affect associations emerged in the younger cohort (C50 cohort). The findings held after controlling for a range of sociodemographic and personality characteristics. Conclusions: These findings support the proposition that SPA influence emotional resilience in later life. Additionally, the paradox of well-being may be contingent on SPA, such that positive views of aging help preserve emotional well-being despite physical decline. This finding points to the potential of SPA-focused psychological interventions to promote well-being in aging populations.

FAQs

What does the study test about self-perceptions of aging (SPA)?

It tests whether SPA buffers the impact of declining health on emotional well-being across midlife and later adulthood.

How are negative affect and health measured in the study?

Negative affect is measured with four longitudinally invariant items from the Zung Depression Scale, while health is assessed objectively by physicians.

Does SPA moderate the health–negative affect relationship in both age cohorts?

No. The moderation effect appears only in the older cohort (60–80), not in the younger cohort (40–60).

What is the practical implication of the findings?

Positive SPA may preserve emotional well-being despite physical decline, supporting SPA-focused psychological interventions for aging populations.

Sep 28, 2026

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