Phoenix

Older people tend to feel about 13 years younger than their chronological age, according to a study that will be published in the Journals of Gerontology: Psychological Science.

Researchers analyzed the responses of 516 men and women age 70 and older who participated in the Berlin Aging Study, tracking how their perceptions about age and their satisfaction with aging changed over a six-year period.

“People generally felt quite a bit younger than they actually were, and they also showed relatively high levels of satisfaction with aging over the time period studied,” said Jacqui Smith, a psychologist at the University of Michigan Institute for Social Research.

“We examined individual changes over time, and expected the gap to increase. But we were surprised to find that it was maintained, on average. Perhaps feeling about 13 years younger is an optimal illusion in old age,” Smith said in a press release.

According to Smith, examining changes in how people feel about the aging process in old age can provide important indicators about the resilience and vitality of the older self. “Feeling positive about getting older may well be associated with remaining active and experiencing better health in old age,” she said. “Thus, studies on self-perceptions of aging can contribute to our understanding of potential indicators of resilience in older adults and the aging self.”

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