Possible Selves in Adulthood and Old Age: A Tale of Shifting Horizons

Young, middle-aged, and elderly adults ( N = 308) evaluated themselves on 6 dimensions of psychological well-being according to present, past, future, and ideal self-assessments. Young and middle-aged adults saw considerable improvement in themselves from the past to the present on all dimensions of...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Psychology and aging 1991-06, Vol.6 (2), p.286-295
Main Author: Ryff, Carol D
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Adaptation, Psychological
Adult
Adult. Elderly
Age Differences
Aged
Aging
Aging - psychology
Biological and medical sciences
Developmental psychology
Female
Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology
Human
Humans
Internal-External Control
Interpersonal Relations
Male
Mental Health
Middle Aged
Motivation
Older Adulthood
Personality Assessment
Personality Development
Psychology. Psychoanalysis. Psychiatry
Psychology. Psychophysiology
Self Concept
Self-Congruence
Self-Evaluation
Self-Perception
Social Environment
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Summary:Young, middle-aged, and elderly adults ( N = 308) evaluated themselves on 6 dimensions of psychological well-being according to present, past, future, and ideal self-assessments. Young and middle-aged adults saw considerable improvement in themselves from the past to the present on all dimensions of well-being. The elderly, however, indicated largely a perception of stability with prior levels of functioning. Future ratings showed that the 2 younger groups expected continued gains in the years ahead, whereas the oldest respondents foresaw decline on most aspects of well-being. The comparison of present and ideal self-ratings supported (cross-sectionally) the hypothesis that with age, individuals achieve a closer fit between their ideal and their actual self-perceptions.
ISSN:0882-7974
1939-1498
DOI:10.1037/0882-7974.6.2.286