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When people have more negative perceptions about aging or attribute health decline to old age, they engage in less health promotion behavior. We tested whether an intervention of brief anti-ageism messages addressing views of aging could motivate engagement in physical activities at senior centers. Attendees aged 50 and older ( n = 349; Mage = 72, SD = 9) at seven centers were randomly assigned to read one of three intervention messages (different approaches addressing views of aging) or to not read a message before rating their likelihood of attending a variety of center programs, including physical activities. Multilevel regression models indicated the intervention increased motivation to attend physical activities compared with the control group among participants aged 72 and older. The three anti-ageism messages were similarly effective suggesting some flexibility in framing. The results indicate anti-ageism messages may be a scalable, low-cost approach to promoting physical activity in older adults.

Two studies examined the effort that participants expended on a challenging physical persistence activity when that activity was a critical part of a divisible conjunctive task performed by two people working as a team compared to when it was structured as an individual task performed by one person working alone. It was found that participants put greater effort into that activity when they worked as part of a team task compared to when they worked alone—a motivation gain when working in groups. This gain occurred despite the absence of any apparent task-related ability differences among participants, and is most parsimoniously explained by the greater indispensability associated with working on a critical element of a divisible conjunctive group task. The implications of these results for the occurrence of motivation gains on other types of tasks and in real-world work settings are discussed.

The variation in Latino older adults’ conceptualizations of positive aging across studies suggests greater attention should be paid to within-group factors. The purpose of the current study was to identify which factors are important to positive aging from the perspective of Latino older adults, and whether the importance of these factors varied based on participant characteristics. A second aim of this study was to examine whether there are differences in views of successful aging between Latino older adults and service providers who support aging Latinos. The current study was conducted as part of a broader research project investigating Latino older adults’ perceptions of positive aging. Latino older adults (n = 93) and aging services providers (n = 45) rated the importance of a series of statements related to positive aging. Mixed-methods analysis of the statements identified nine distinct dimensions (Positive Outlook, Spirituality/Religion, Healthy Behaviors, Independence, Self-Care, Support for Others, Social Support, Leisure Activities, and Adaptability). Latino older adults rated Positive Outlook and Spirituality highest on importance, and ratings differed based on gender and other individual difference characteristics. For example, men placed greater relative importance on Independence and Support for Others compared to women, and younger participants rated Independence higher on importance compared to older participants. In addition, Latino older adults (vs. providers) placed greater importance on all aspects of positive aging, with greatest mean differences related to providing Support for Others and Spirituality. These findings have implications for wellness programs for Latino older adults and training for service providers.

The relationship between activity engagement and well-being can vary based on individual characteristics, and it is important to identify moderating factors to support the development and implementation of aging services. The current study examined whether the relationship between activity engagement and well-being depends on older adults’ savoring ability, that is, the ability to attend to positive experiences and to engage in emotion regulation strategies to enhance positive feelings during those experiences. A total of 5,128 older adults ( Mage = 83.86 years) completed measures of activity engagement, savoring, and well-being (i.e., life satisfaction, depression, loneliness, purpose, and health). Multilevel modeling analyses revealed that activity engagement and savoring independently predicted better functioning across all well-being measures. However, savoring moderated the relationship between activity engagement and four well-being measures (life satisfaction, depression, loneliness, and purpose). Findings suggest that older adults with low activity engagement may particularly benefit from savoring-skills training to enhance their psychological well-being.

Evidence suggests that negative perceptions of aging are associated with worse health outcomes. Research also shows that marital partners can mutually influence each other’s health; however, limited research has explored perceptions of aging within couples. The purpose of the current study was to examine the association between self and partner perceptions of aging and health among married older adult couples. Both members of 452 couples (average age: wives = 80.6 years, husbands = 82.7 years) completed a survey that measured perceptions of aging and health (i.e., self-reported health, healthy diet, physical functioning, stress, and physical activity). Data were analyzed using actor-partner interdependence models, and analyses were conducted separately for positive and negative perceptions of aging, controlling for self and partner’s age, depression, and chronic health conditions as well as gender and income. Consistent with previous research, analyses revealed that one’s own positive perceptions of aging were related to better health across all measures, and the opposite pattern was found for negative perceptions of aging. An examination of partner effects revealed that people reported better physical functioning and greater physical activity when their spouses had more positive perceptions of aging. Similarly, husbands reported less stress when wives had more positive perceptions of aging, but there was not a partner effect for wives. In contrast, people reported lower subjective health and less healthy diets when their spouses had more negative perceptions of aging. These findings suggest that health-promotion efforts should consider partners’ perceptions of aging as a potential resource or risk factor.

An overwhelming three-quarters of persons age 65 and over have multiple chronic health conditions (Gerteis et al., 2014). With a growing population of older adults, understanding the factors that predict health and reduce the risk of chronic disease is critical. Recent evidence finds that a high sense of purpose- “the belief that one’s life is purposeful and meaningful” (Ryff & Keyes, 1995, p. 720)- is associated with positive health outcomes among older adults. This study investigated the association between purpose and number of chronic conditions among older adults, and whether the relationship depended on age. The study included 6148 older adults (mean age=83.8) who participated in a larger study on wellness. Participants completed a survey that included a measure of sense of purpose and questions about chronic health conditions. Data were analyzed controlling for demographics, optimism, pessimism, social contact, BMI, physical activity, and smoking. Lower levels of purpose were significantly associated with higher numbers of chronic conditions. There was a significant interaction between purpose and age, such that relatively younger older adults with high levels of purpose had fewer chronic conditions. There was no relationship between purpose and number of chronic conditions for the oldest adult participants. The results add new findings to the body of research that demonstrates that sense of purpose is associated with chronic disease. As sense of purpose is modifiable, interventions that increase purpose among older adults, with an emphasis on the youngest-old, should be developed and implemented.