Ageism and self-perceptions of aging (SPA) are psychosocial factors associated with cognitive and mental health outcomes.
Objectives
(1) to identify latent profiles based on indicators of ageism and SPA and (2) to examine their differences in anxiety, depression, and cognitive functioning.
Method
Latent profile analysis was conducted with a non-probabilistic sample of 305 adults aged 50 years and older from Chile. Participants completed measures of aging-related stereotypes, perceived age-based discrimination, self-perceptions of aging, anxiety symptoms, depressive symptoms, and cognitive performance.
Results
Five profiles were identified: Hopeless, Positive Aging, Neutral, Internalization, and Ambivalent. Significant differences emerged across profiles in anxiety, depression, and cognitive functioning, with the Internalization profile showing the highest psychological vulnerability and the Positive Aging profile the most favorable outcomes.
Discussion
The findings reveal heterogeneity of aging and may inform the design of interventions that promote mental health and cognitive functioning in later life.
AyalonL. (2022). Ageism towards oneself vs. In PalgiY.ShriraA.DiehlM. (Eds.), Ageism towards others in the context of views of aging BT - subjective views of aging: Theory, research, and practice (pp. 41–58). Springer International Publishing. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-11073-3_3
2.
AyalonL.Tesch-RömerC. (2017). Taking a closer look at ageism: Self- and other-directed ageist attitudes and discrimination. European Journal of Ageing, 14(1), 1–4. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10433-016-0409-9
3.
BăjenaruL.BalogA.DobreC.DrăghiciR.PradaG. (2022). Latent profile analysis for quality of life in older patients. BMC Geriatrics, 22(848), 1–7. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12877-022-03518-1
4.
BlaineB. E.McClure BrenchleyK. J. (2020). Understanding the psychology of diversity (4th ed.). Sage Publications.
5.
BrownK. E.KimJ.StewartT.MccarreyA. C.FultonE. (2021). Positive, but not perceptions of aging predict cognitive function among older adults. The International Journal of Aging and Human Development, 93(1), 543–561. https://doi.org/10.1177/0091415020917681
DelgadoC.AranedaA.BehrensM. I. (2019). Validación del instrumento Montreal Cognitive Assessment en español en adultos mayores de 60 años. Neurología, 34(6), 376–385. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.nrl.2017.01.013
8.
DiehlM.BrothersA. F.WahlH.-W. (2021a). Self-perceptions and awareness of aging: Past, present, and future. In SchaieK. W.WillisS. (Eds.), Handbooks of aging (9th ed., pp. 155–179). Academic Press. https://doi.org/10.1016/B978-0-12-816094-7.00001-5
9.
DiehlM.WettsteinM.SpulingS. M.WurmS. (2021b). Age-related change in self-perceptions of aging: Longitudinal trajectories and predictors of change. Psychology and Aging, 36(3), 344–359. https://doi.org/10.1037/pag0000585
FergusonS. L.MooreE. W. G.HullD. M. (2020). Finding latent groups in observed data: A primer on latent profile analysis in mplus for applied researchers. International Journal of Behavioral Development, 44(5), 458–468. https://doi.org/10.1177/0165025419881721
12.
Gallardo-PeraltaL. P.Rodríguez-BlázquezC.Ayala-GarcíaA.ForjazM. J. (2020). Multi-ethnic validation of 15-item geriatric depression scale in Chile. Psicologia: Reflexao e Critica, 33(1), 7. https://doi.org/10.1186/s41155-020-00146-9
13.
HoylT.ValenzuelaE.MarínP. P. (2000). Depresión en el adulto mayor: evaluación preliminar de la efectividad, como instrumento de tamizaje, de la versión de 5 ítems de la Escala de Depresión Geriátrica. Revista Médica de Chile, 128(11), 1199–1204.
KornadtA. E.RothermundK. (2015). Views on aging: Domain-specific approaches and implications for developmental regulation. In Annual review of gerontology and geriatrics, vol. 35, 2015: Subjective aging: New developments and future directions (pp. 121–144). Springer Publishing Company.
17.
KornadtA. E.WeissD.de Paula CoutoM. C.RothermundK. (2023). Internalization or dissociation ? Negative age stereotypes make you feel younger now but make you feel older later. The Journals of Gerontology, Series B: Psychological Sciences and Social Sciences, 78(8), 1341–1348. https://doi.org/10.1093/geronb/gbad057
LevyB. R. (2021). Stereotype embodiment theory. In GuD.DupreM. E. (Eds.), Encyclopedia of gerontology and population aging (1st ed., pp. 4763–4766). Springer. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-22009-9
21.
LevyS. R.MacdonaldJ. L. (2016). Progress on understanding ageism. Journal of Social Issues, 72(1), 5–25. https://doi.org/10.1111/josi.12153
22.
LiuC.LuoQ.LuoD.ZhouY.FengX.WangZ.XiaoJ.BiQ.SmithG. D. (2023). Quality of life profiles and its association with predictors amongst Chinese older adults in nursing homes: A latent profile analysis. BMC Geriatrics, 23(740), 1–11. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12877-023-04456-2
23.
Losada-BaltarA.Jiménez-GonzaloL.Gallego-AlbertoL.Pedroso-ChaparroM. D. S.Fernandes-PiresJ.Márquez-GonzálezM. (2021). “we Are Staying at Home.” association of self-perceptions of aging, personal and family resources, and loneliness with psychological distress during the lock-down period of COVID-19. Journals of Gerontology - Series B Psychological Sciences and Social Sciences, 76(2), E10–E16. https://doi.org/10.1093/geronb/gbaa048
24.
MeisnerB. A.LevyB. R. (2016). Age stereotypes’ influence on health: Stereotype embodiment theory. In BengtsonV. L.SetterstenJ. R. A. (Eds.), Handbook of theories of aging (3rd ed., pp. 310–329). Springer Publishing Company.
25.
MeshkatS.LinQ.TassoneV. K.Janssen-AguilarR.LouW.BhatV. (2025). The association between depressive symptoms and limitations in disability domains among US adults. Journal of Mood and Anxiety Disorders, 9, 100103. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.xjmad.2024.100103
26.
Miranda-CastilloC.ContrerasD.GarayK.MartínezP.León-CamposM. O.FarhangM.MoránJ.Fernández-FernándezV. (2019). Validation of the geriatric anxiety inventory in Chilean older people. Archives of Gerontology and Geriatrics, 83, 81–85. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.archger.2019.03.019
27.
NevenA.EctorsW. (2023). “I am dependent on others to get there”: Mobility barriers and solutions for societal participation by persons with disabilities. Travel Behaviour and Society, 30(3), 302–311. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tbs.2022.10.009
28.
O’DonnellM. L.SchaeferI.VarkerT.KartalD.ForbesD.BryantR. A. A.SiloveD.CreamerM.McFarlaneA.MalhiG.FelminghamK.Van HoofM.Hadzi-PavlovicD.NickersonA.SteelZ. (2017). A systematic review of person-centered approaches to investigating patterns of trauma exposure. Clinical Psychology Review, 57, 208–225. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cpr.2017.08.009
29.
Pedroso-ChaparroM. del S.José CarlosA.-L.IsabelC.MaríaM.-G.José ÁngelM.-H.Losada-BaltarA. (2023). I feel old and have aging stereotypes’. Internalized aging stereotypes and older adults’ mental health: The mediational role of loneliness. Aging & Mental Health, 27(8), 1619–1626. https://doi.org/10.1080/13607863.2022.2163376
RassetP.MangeJ.AugustinovaM. (2024). What do we really know about age-related stereotypes and well-being of older adults? A commentary on the state of the art. Frontiers in Psychology, 15, 1–10. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2024.1358403
32.
RobertsonD. A.King-kallimanisB. L.KennyR. A. (2016). Negative perceptions of aging predict longitudinal decline in cognitive function. Psychology and Aging, 31(1), 71–81. https://doi.org/10.1037/pag0000061
33.
RobertsonD. A.SavvaG. M.King-kallimanisB. L.KennyR. A. (2015). Negative perceptions of aging and decline in walking speed: A self-fulfilling prophecy. PLOS ONE, 10(4), e0123260. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0123260
34.
RosellJ.VergésA. (2023). Loneliness as a potential mechanism of the association between ageism and mental health outcomes in the Chilean context. Journal of Applied Gerontology, 42(6), 1245–1254. https://doi.org/10.1177/07334648231158484
35.
RosellJ.VergésA.Torres IrribarraD.FloresK.GómezM. (2020). Adaptation and psychometric characteristics of a scale to evaluate ageist stereotypes. Archives of Gerontology and Geriatrics, 90(3), 104179. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.archger.2020.104179
36.
RothermundK.BrandtstädterJ. (2003). Age stereotypes and self-views in later life: Evaluating rival assumptions. International Journal of Behavioral Development, 27(6), 549–554. https://doi.org/10.1080/01650250344000208
37.
RothermundK.de Paula CoutoM. C. P. (2024). Age stereotypes: Dimensions, origins, and consequences. Current Opinion in Psychology, 55, 101747. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.copsyc.2023.101747
38.
RothermundK.KlusmannV.ZacherH. (2021). Age discrimination in the context of motivation and healthy aging. The Journals of Gerontology: Series B, 76(Supplement_2), S167–S180. https://doi.org/10.1093/geronb/gbab081
39.
Shiovitz-EzraS.ShemeshJ.McDonnell-NaughtonM. (2018). Pathways from ageism to loneliness. In AyalonL.Tesch-RömerC. (Eds.), Contemporary perspectives on ageism. International perspectives on aging (19th ed., pp. 131–147). Springer. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-73820-8
40.
SpurkD.HirschiA.WangM.ValeroD.KauffeldS. (2020). Latent profile analysis: A review and “how to” guide of its application within vocational behavior research. Journal of Vocational Behavior, 120(1), 103445. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jvb.2020.103445
41.
SteverinkN.WesterhofG. J.BodeC.Dittmann-KohliF. (2001). The personal experience of aging, individual resources, and subjective well-being. The Journals of Gerontology Series B: Psychological Sciences and Social Sciences, 56(6), 364–373. https://doi.org/10.1093/geronb/56.6.P364
42.
TajfelH. (1957). Value and the perceptual judgment of magnitude. Psychological Review, 64(3), 192–204. https://doi.org/10.1037/h0047878
43.
TajfelH.TurnerJ. (1979). An integrative theory of intergroup conflict relations. In The social psychology of intergroup relations (pp. 33–47). Wadsworth.
44.
Terán-MendozaO.CancinoV. (2025). Ageism and loneliness in people over 50: Understanding the role of self-perception of aging and social isolation in a Chilean sample. Journal of Applied Gerontology, 44(10), 1681–1690. https://doi.org/10.1177/07334648251314283
45.
Tully-WilsonC.BojackR.MillearP. M.StallmanH. M.AllenA.MasonJ. (2021). Self-perceptions of aging: A systematic review of longitudinal studies. Psychology and Aging, 36(7), 773–789. https://doi.org/10.1037/pag0000638
46.
VelaithanV.TanM.-M.YuT.-F.LiemA.TehP.-L.SuT. T. (2024). The association of self-perception of aging and quality of life in older adults: A systematic review. The Gerontologist, 64(4), 1–14. https://doi.org/10.1093/geront/gnad041
47.
WeissD.KornadtA. E. (2018). Age-stereotype internalization and dissociation: Contradictory processes or two sides of the same coin?Current Directions in Psychological Science, 27(6), 477–483. https://doi.org/10.1177/0963721418777743
48.
WellerB. E.BowenN. K.FaubertS. J. (2020). Latent class analysis: A guide to best practice. Journal of Black Psychology, 46(4), 287–311. https://doi.org/10.1177/0095798420930932
49.
WelzelF. D.SteinJ.RöhrS.FuchsA.PentzekM.MöschE.BickelH.WeyererS.WerleJ.WieseB.OeyA.HajekA.KönigH. H.HeserK.KeineidamL.Van Den BusscheH.Van Der LeedenC.MaierW.SchererM.ZimmermannT. (2019). Prevalence of anxiety symptoms and their association with loss experience in a large cohort sample of the oldest-old. Results of the AGECODE/AGEQUALIDE study. Frontiers in Psychiatry, 10, 1–10. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyt.2019.00285
50.
WettsteinM.KornadtA. E.WahlH. W. (2022). Awareness of age-related changes among middle-aged and older adults: Longitudinal trajectories, and the role of age stereotypes and personality traits. Frontiers in Psychiatry, 13, 902909. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyt.2022.902909
YangY. C.WalshC. E.ShartleK.StebbinsR. C.AielloA. E.BelskyD. W.HarrisK. M.Chanti-KetterlM.PlassmanB. L. (2024). An early and unequal decline: Life course trajectories of cognitive aging in the United States. Journal of Aging and Health, 36(3–4), 230–245. https://doi.org/10.1177/08982643231184593
54.
ZhuM.ChenH.DingX.LiZ. (2024). Effects of self-perception of aging interventions in older adults: A systematic review and meta-analysis. The Gerontologist, 4(4), 127. https://doi.org/10.1093/geront/gnae127
