Subjective Age and Personality Traits in Older Adults: Reciprocal and Indirect Effects Through Positive and Negative Affect

The present study examined the longitudinal reciprocal relationships between subjective age (SA) and the two personality traits of Extraversion and Neuroticism, in latest life. Additionally, we assessed the potential role of positive affect (PA) and negative affect (NA) within these pathways. We interviewed 224 Israeli older adults (aged 63–94), living in assisted living or the community, once a year for three consecutive years (average age 81.14 at Time 1 [T1]). Participants reported their SA and completed measures of personality and affect at each of these interviews. Data analysis revealed distinct pathways leading from SA at T1 to personality at Time 3 (T3) through affect at Time 2 (T2). No similar reciprocal effects through affect were observed from personality at T1 to SA at T3. The findings contribute to our understanding of the underlying mechanism through which SA predicts personality changes by highlighting the indirect effect through affect. We suggest that subjective perceptions of aging could potentially contribute to late-life personality.