What is it about?
As people grow older, how old they feel (known as their subjective age) can be influenced by comparisons they make. This study looked at two main types of comparisons: - Social comparisons (comparing oneself to others), and - Temporal comparisons (comparing oneself to their past or future self). These comparisons affect how people feel about their age in opposite ways. When people compare themselves to others their age or older ("me vs. them"), they often feel younger. In contrast, when people reflect on how they’ve changed over time ("me vs. past/future me"), they tend to feel older. We tested this idea in two studies: (a) A long-term study with over 2,400 adults aged 39–93. (b) An experiment with 160 adults aged 50–75. Both studies showed the same pattern: Social comparisons helped people feel younger, while temporal comparisons made them feel older. The experiment also found that these comparisons influence how people see their own aging in positive or negative light. This means that how people view their aging, whether they feel good or bad about getting older, can be shaped by the kind of comparisons they make.
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Why is it important?
These findings help us understand how people experience aging. They also suggest that encouraging positive social comparisons could help older adults feel younger and more positive about aging. This can be useful for designing programs and policies that support healthy, confident aging in later life.
Perspectives
Aging is something we all go through, yet we rarely stop to think about how much our perceptions are shaped by who we compare ourselves to. For me, the most rewarding part of this work was seeing how small shifts in perspective, i.e. comparing ourselves to others rather than to our past selves, can have a real impact on how old we feel, and how we view our own aging. This project was a great chance to work with wonderful colleagues who brought diverse insights. It showed me how valuable collaboration can be, especially when exploring everyday experiences like aging. I hope this article encourages readers to reflect on how we view aging and to support more positive, healthy perspectives in later life.
David Weiss
Read the Original
This page is a summary of: How social and temporal comparisons shape subjective aging., Psychology and Aging, June 2025, American Psychological Association (APA),
DOI: 10.1037/pag0000917.
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