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People over forty feel 20% younger than their age: subjective age across the lifespan.

Publication ,  Journal Article
Rubin, DC; Berntsen, D
October 2006

Subjective age--the age people think of themselves asbeing--is measured in a representative Danish sample of 1,470 adults between 20 and 97 years of age through personal, in-home interviews. On the average, adults younger than 25 have older subjective ages, and those older than 25 have younger subjective ages, favoring a lifespan-developmental view over an age-denial view of subjective age. When the discrepancy between subjective and chronological age is calculated as a proportion of chronological age, no increase is seen after age 40; older respondents feel 20% younger than their actual age. Demographic variables (gender, income, and education) account for very little variance in subjective age.

Duke Scholars

Publication Date

October 2006

Publisher

Springer Science and Business Media LLC

Related Subject Headings

  • Sweden
  • Set, Psychology
  • Self Concept
  • Reality Testing
  • Middle Aged
  • Male
  • Judgment
  • Interview, Psychological
  • Individuality
  • Humans
 

Citation

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Rubin, David C., and Dorthe Berntsen. “People over forty feel 20% younger than their age: subjective age across the lifespan.,” October 2006.
Rubin, David C., and Dorthe Berntsen. People over forty feel 20% younger than their age: subjective age across the lifespan. Springer Science and Business Media LLC, Oct. 2006.
Rubin DC, Berntsen D. People over forty feel 20% younger than their age: subjective age across the lifespan. Springer Science and Business Media LLC; 2006 Oct;

Publication Date

October 2006

Publisher

Springer Science and Business Media LLC

Related Subject Headings

  • Sweden
  • Set, Psychology
  • Self Concept
  • Reality Testing
  • Middle Aged
  • Male
  • Judgment
  • Interview, Psychological
  • Individuality
  • Humans