Abstract

The present study was attempted to find out mechanisms and correlates of subjective age perception. The results of this study are as follows: First, individuals in their teen hold older subjective age identity, whereas during the early adult years, individuals maintain same age identities. Across the middle and later adult years, individuals report younger age identities. Discrepancies between subjective and actual age are associated with better psychological functioning. Second, discrepancies between subjective and actual age are associated with personal attitude of aging and ideal age. Third, adults with younger age identities report higher self-esteem and better verbal scores than adults with accurate or older age identity, suggesting that subjective age identity is an important predictor to psychological function. Fourth, self-esteem mediate age segmentation. Assigning positive meaning to age segmentation promotes age identification. Fifth, age perception is associated with traditionality, venturesomeness, homebodiness, and price sensitivity.