Self-reports of 250 persons fifty years of age and older confirm the increasing bias toward reporting a more youthful age as one increases in years. Optimistic perceptions of health care also maintained in older persons. Results from two subsets of this sample (N = 48) further indicate that the youthful and optimistic bias occurs in older persons with poorer and failing health (N = 23) as well as for persons in stable and good health (N = 25). Given the importance of self-perceptions in quality of life and in determining survivability, and given the indication that such measures are modifiable, it is suggested that future research be aimed at identifying those self-perceptions of health and age that are most susceptible to intervention.

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The Test of Behavioral Rigidity was administered to a group of Traditional (age ≤ 22 years) and Nontraditional (age ≥ 25 years) college students to assess the significance of mean differences in rigidity scores between the groups. Analysis indicated significant differences between the groups on Personality-Perceptual Rigidity and the Composite Rigidity Quotient, with the Nontraditional students scoring as less rigid (more flexible). Within each group, women were significantly less rigid (more flexible) on Psychomotor Speed Rigidity and on the Composite Rigidity Quotient. Results argue against the belief that Nontraditional students find it difficult to adjust readily to new situations and tasks and that rigidity increases with age. Further, within both groups of students women scored as more flexible than men. Implications of these results for higher education are discussed.

Data quality is compromised when response rates to items vary with age group. Shmotkin (1992) found a 29% nonresponse rate to future-oriented items in persons older than 60 years and suggested future apprehension as a cause. The authors administered similar items to 251 older persons and found fewer instances of nonresponding to future-oriented items. On the basis of the high response rate to an enlarged Cantril ladder measuring future quality of life, presented in interview, the authors question the generality of future apprehension as a determinant of nonresponding. The authors suggest that mode of administration, size of items, and scale complexity, as well as future apprehension, are determinants of nonresponding to future-oriented items and scales.