Extending research on determinants of preparations for old age across adulthood, we examined the relationship between well-being, perceived control, and preparations for old age over time, along with variation in the strength of these relationships depending on domains of functioning, cultures, and age. We analyzed longitudinal data from the Ageing as Future study assessing changes in well-being, perceived control, and preparations in four different life domains (social relations, finances, work, and health) across a five-year period collected from adults aged from 30 to 85 years in Germany ( N = 623), Hong Kong ( N = 317), and the USA ( N = 315). Positive feelings about one’s current situation predicted greater perceived control five years later, and vice versa. Also, perceived control and preparations were positively associated over time, with only a few exceptions within each domain. For example, high control beliefs were related to subsequent greater preparations and well-being within the domain of social relations and finances, with weak effects of culture. These results suggest that current well-being may promote adaptive behaviors in later life, with the accumulated effects over time. Thus, focusing on how to improve our well-being may promote engagement in preparations for old age. Our results also indicate that these relations in our model vary by contexts, highlighting the importance of variability in age-related processes.

Objective Aging attitudes have important consequences on functioning in later life. A critical question concerns whether such attitudes may bias perceptions of one’s own aging, with potentially negative effects on important outcomes. Method Using data from adults aged 30 – 85 yrs in Germany (n=623), Hong Kong (n=317), and the US (n=313), we examined the impact of age and aging attitudes on accuracy of perceptions of change in well-being over five years in different domains of functioning. Results Across contexts, comparisons revealed good correspondence between retrospective reports and actual change. However, older adults and those with negative attitudes retrospectively reported less positive change over this period. Inconsistent with expectations, attitudes did not consistently bias accuracy of retrospective reports over cultures and domains of functioning, nor did age have a consistent moderating effect on the impact of attitudes on accuracy. Discussion The results highlight the complex relationship between various personal characteristics and perceptions of change in well-being, as well as the potentially insidious effects of attitudes on the accuracy of these perceptions.