The process of aging can have direct association with your thinking

The process of aging can have direct association with your thinkingA research from Purdue University has concluded that how you think about your age may affect how you age.

Markus H. Schafer, a doctoral student in sociology and gerontology and leader of the study, said," It does matter how old you are, but beyond that it's your interpretation that has far-reaching implications for the process of aging. So, if you feel old beyond your own chronological years you are probably going to experience a lot of the downsides that we associate with aging. But if you are older and maintain a sense of being younger, then that gives you an edge in maintaining a lot of the abilities you prize."

People's chronological age and their subjective age were compared by Schafer and co-author Tetyana P. Shippee, a Purdue graduate who is a research associate at Purdue's Center on Aging and the Life Course, to determine which one has a greater influence on cognitive abilities during older adulthood. Nearly 500 people of ages 55-74 were surveyed about aging in 1995 and 2005 as part of the National Survey of Midlife Development in the United States.

Schafer said," We found that these people who felt young for their age were more likely to have greater confidence about their cognitive abilities a decade later, Yes, chronological age was important, but the subjective age had a stronger effect."

He further said," What we are not sure about is what comes first. Does a person's wellness and happiness affect their cognitive abilities or does a person's cognitive ability contribute to their sense of wellness. We are planning to address this in a future study." (With input from agencies)