The relationship of personality trait variables to two measures of subjective age identity : a symbolic interactionist perspective
Date
1991
Authors
Hubley, Anita Marleen
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Abstract
Subjective age generally refers to the age a person "feels" rather than to his or her chronological age, and is thought to be an aspect of self-concept. Research in sociology has placed considerable emphasis on the societal influences (e.g., stereotypes, social roles) on subjective age suggested by symbolic interactionism, but the more psychological influences (e.g., habit or trait) virtually have been ignored. As another aspect of self-concept, personality traits might contribute to people's subjective ages by influencing not only how they interpret the world around them, but how they interpret information about themselves as well. The present research involves an analysis of two large data sets. Sample 1 consisted of 241 community-dwelling adults ag 55-75 years. Sample 2 involved 355 community-dwelling adults age 55-85 years. Subjects were asked the age they feel (feel age) and the age they would like to be (ideal age). The primary purpose of the present research was to examine the relationship of personality trait variables to the two different subjective age measures. Sample 1 employed the trait variables of locus of control and social desirability, whereas Sample 2 employed the neuroticism, extraversion and openness trait subscales of the NEO personality inventory (Costa & McCrae, 1985). Subjects in Samples 1 and 2 both felt and would have like to have been considerably younger than their chronological ages. The personality traits of internal locus of control and extraversion were (negatively) correlated with feel age measure, whereas powerful others control, neuroticism, extraversion, and openness were (negatively) correlated with the ideal age measure. Traits were not primarily responsible for the relationships between the feel age measure and (a) physical health variables, or (b) affective state variables. Neuroticism and openness were found to alter the relationship between the ideal age measure and affective state only in Sample 2.