Psychological Resources for Well-Being In Octogenarians, Nonagenarians, and Centenarians

1. Psychological Resources for Well-Being In Octogenarians, Nonagenarians, and Centenarians Differential Effects of Age and Selective Mortality Jacqui Smith Denis Gerstorf Max Planck Institute for Human Development, Berlin Li Qiang Institute of Population Research, Peking University

2. A Psychological Approach to Healthy Longevity • Outcomes of successful aging = personal sense of well-being • a healthy long life • (E.g., Baltes & Baltes, 1990; Rowe & Kahn, 1997) • Psychological resources contribute to these outcomes • Specifically: • Older individuals high in psychological resources that maximize positive well-being and protect against or minimize negative well-being function well in everyday life and can age with dignity (e.g., Kahneman, Diener & Schwarz, 1999; Taylor, 1991) • They may also live longer (e.g. Levy, Slade, Kunkel & Kasl, 2002; Maier & Smith, 1999) Smith, Gerstorf & Li, 2004

3. Open Questions About the Oldest Old • Do long-lived individuals have the psychological capacity to sustain a sense of personal well-being and so to age successfully? • Are there differences in the profile of resources for well-being observed in octogenarians, nonagenarians, and centenarians? Smith, Gerstorf & Li, 2004

4. Analytic Strategy We compared two nested subsamples of CLHLS at Baseline (1998): - subsequent 2-year survivors (N = 4006) - subsequent (mortality) dropouts (N = 4799) • If psychological resources for well-being contribute to healthy longevity: • Survivors in the 2-year longitudinal sample > mortality dropouts • Centenarians more positively selected for psychological resources than octogenarians • Few age cohort differences in the 2-year longitudinal sample • Beyond age: cognitive fitness and engagement in life activities should be related to individual differences in potential for well-being Smith, Gerstorf & Li, 2004

5. CLHLS: Indicators of Psychological Resources for Well-Being Potential to Maximize Positive Well-Being (4 items, 5-point response scale) OptimismDo you always look on the bright side of things? ConscientiousnessDo you like to keep your belongings neat and clean? Personal ControlCan you make your own decisions about your personal affairs? Positive AgingAre you just as happy now as when you were younger? Potential to Minimize Negative Well-Being (3 items, 5-point response scale) Note: To estimate these resources we reverse coded all item responses. NeuroticismDo you often feel fearful or anxious? LonelinessDo you often feel lonely and isolated? Self-Worth / AgingDo you feel that the older you get, the more useless you are? Smith, Gerstorf & Li, 2004

6. Structure of Resources For Positive and Against Negative Well-Being T1:1998 N = 8805 Optimism .62 .62 .51 Conscientiousness .74 MAXIMIZE Positive WB .43 Sense of Personal Control .81 .55 Positive Aging .33 .70 (.21) .61 - Neuroticism MINIMIZE Negative WB .63 .73 - Loneliness .46 .46 RMSEA = .054NFI = .95 + Self-Worth .79 Note: Differences in item format 1998 - 2000 did not alter the factor structure significantly Smith, Gerstorf & Li, 2004

7. High Potential For Well-Being in 2-year Survivor Subsample (N = 4006) % High on Resources for Positive Well-Being 87% Conscientiousness 80% Optimism 64% Personal Control and Autonomy 53% Positive Evaluation of Aging % High on Resources Against Negative Well-Being 76% Low Neuroticism (Anxiety) 72% Low Loneliness 41% High Self-Worth Note. High = % responding that item is a "good / very good" description of themselves. Smith, Gerstorf & Li, 2004

8. * * * Few Age-Cohort Differences in Psychological Resources The 2-year Survivor Sample at Baseline (1998) Individual differences were substantial at all ages Describes me.... 4,1 Conscientiousness Often Optimism 3,9 Low Neuroticism / Anxiety 3,7 Low Loneliness 3,5 Control / Autonomy Positive Aging 3,3 Sometimes 3,1 Self-Worth / Aging 2,9 80 - 89 90 - 99 100 - 105 2,7 N = 2239 N = 1216 N = 551 Smith, Gerstorf & Li, 2004

9. Sample Selectivity for Psychological Resources At Baseline, the 2-year Survivor Subsample (N = 4006) Had a Higher Potential for Well-Being Than the "Dropouts” (N = 4799) Substantial Selectivity Effects for Resources Linked to Positive Well-Being Effect Sizes in SD units 0.5 1.0 0.5 1.0 Conscientiousness Positive WB Resources Optimism Control Positive Aging Negative WB Resources Lo Neuroticism Lo Loneliness Hi Self-Worth Smith, Gerstorf & Li, 2004

10. 80 - 89 80 - 89 90 - 99 90 - 99 100 - 105 100 - 105 Large Selectivity Effects In Centenarians Effect Sizes in SD units 0.5 1.0 Positive WB Resources Negative WB Resources Within Age Cohort Comparisons 2-year Survivors (N = 4006) vs. "Mortality Dropouts” (N = 4799) Smith, Gerstorf & Li, 2004

11. 2-Year Longitudinal "Survivor" Sample at 1998 N = 4006: Mean age = 89.3 years; 56% women * = Significant Positive Selectivity Within Age Cohort Smith, Gerstorf & Li, 2004

12. Predictors of Individual Differences in Potential for Well-Being Unique predictors after age variance was partialed Note. Final model in a step-wise regression analysis (N = 4006) “+” p < 0.05; “++” p < 0.01; “+++” p < 0.001 Smith, Gerstorf & Li, 2004

13. Overview • Psychological resources for well-being are associated with longevity. The system of self-protective processes appears to remain intact but the efficacy is this system is vulnerable to losses and is associated with survival in the oldest old • Substantial selectivity effects and heterogeneity: - Survivors in the 2-year longitudinal sample > mortality dropouts - Within age-cohort groups, centenarians were more positively selected for psychological resources than octogenarians - Potential for well-being is multidimensional and integrated with cognitive fitness, engagement in life activities, and social context • Findings point to the universal nature of psychological and behavioral determinants of longevity Smith, Gerstorf & Li, 2004