Gauging aging: Expert and public understandings of aging in America

Lindland, Eric; Kendall-Taylor, Nathaniel; Haydon, Abigail A.; Fond, Marissa

doi:10.1177/2057047315625340

Cited by 24 publications

(58 citation statements)

References 37 publications

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“…These findings suggest that preserving the ability to perceive aging also as a time for gains and growth will also serve to promote enhanced well-being for individuals throughout adulthood. Given rampant misconceptions in the popular culture that aging is a time of crisis, loss and decline, many individuals simply do not expect that positive age-related changes may be a possibility (Lindland, Fond, Haydon, & Kendall-Taylor, 2015). …”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Future time perspective and awareness of age-related change: Examining their role in predicting psychological well-being.

Gabrian

Wahl

Diehl

2016

Psychology and Aging

105

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This study examined how two distinct facets of perceived personal lifetime – future time perspective (FTP) and awareness of age-related change (AARC) – are associated with one another, and how they may interact to predict psychological well-being. To better understand associations among subjective perceptions of lifetime, aging and well-being, we tested a series of models to investigate questions of directionality, indirect effects, and conditional processes among FTP, AARC-Gains, AARC-Losses, and psychological well-being. In all models, we tested for differences between middle-aged and older adults, and between adults from the U.S. and Germany. Analyses were conducted within a structural equation modeling framework on a cross-national, 2.5-year longitudinal sample of 537 community-residing adults (age 40–98 years). Awareness of age-related losses (AARC-Losses) at Time 1 predicted FTP at Time 2, but FTP did not predict AARC-Gains or AARC-Losses. Furthermore, future time perspective mediated the association between AARC-Losses and well-being. Moderation analyses revealed a buffering effect of awareness of age-related gains (AARC-Gains) in which perceptions of more age-related gains diminished the negative effect of a limited future time perspective on well-being. Effects were robust across age groups and countries. Taken together, these findings suggest that perceived age-related loss experiences may sensitize individuals to perceive a more limited future lifetime which may then lead to lower psychological well-being. In contrast, perceived age-related gains may function as a resource to preserve psychological well-being, in particular when time is perceived as running out.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Future time perspective and awareness of age-related change: Examining their role in predicting psychological well-being.

Gabrian

Wahl

Diehl

2016

Psychology and Aging

105

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“…After reviewing FWI recommendations, we identified that our framing of workforce issues could be improved. 3 We found value in the "building momentum" metaphor that FWI proposed. This metaphor emphasizes that we can "gather momentum through the build-up of experience and insights" over time, which makes a compelling case for the important roles geriatrics healthcare professionals play in keeping health care attuned to concepts like frailty, which will play an increasingly significant role in quality care as more of us age.…”

Section: 3mentioning

confidence: 82%

“…2 Our goal is to reduce our reliance on terms that might impede others from hearing what geriatrics experts have to say because of the language we use. 2,3 We are delighted to report that the Editors-in-Chief of our other AGS journals followed our lead, and we hope other journals will too. [4][5][6] We want to be clear that the AGS and its journals will not stop talking about age-related disability, frailty, functional limitations, multimorbidity, decline, and death.…”

mentioning

confidence: 97%

“…7 In the letters, we adapted the "social justice frame" that FWI proposed. 3,8 That frame helped us convey a simple message: Supporting social justice for us all as we age is our best chance for ensuring that all older Americans can remain in their homes and communities. 7 We then examined our advocacy on behalf of the geriatrics workforce through the lens of the LAO-FWI collaboration.…”

mentioning

confidence: 99%

See 1 more Smart Citation

Reply to: Language Matters, So Geriatricians Should Talk of Declining Health and Death

Lundebjerg

Trucil

Applegate

2017

J American Geriatrics Society

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Our editorial began a multiyear effort to reframe how policy-makers and the general public view older people. 2 Our goal is to reduce our reliance on terms that might impede others from hearing what geriatrics experts have to say because of the language we use. 2,3 We are delighted to report that the Editors-in-Chief of our other AGS journals followed our lead, and we hope other journals will too. [4][5][6] We want to be clear that the AGS and its journals will not stop talking about age-related disability, frailty, functional limitations, multimorbidity, decline, and death. Supporting frail older adults is the substance of what our members do and is the focus of our own policy and educational work. In this context, we see the LAO-FWI recommendations as an opportunity to become better communicators and potentially to reach a wider audience when sharing our work and the passion of our members. One clear message from the FWI reports is that the aging community needs to do a better job of meeting our audiences halfway by using language that resonates with average Americans and policy-makers and that invites them into the conversation as partners for meaningful change.2,3 That means remaining realistic about what aging entails, but it also means educating the general public using new techniques that can open doors to a new understanding of what "aging" really means. 2,3As we have worked with the LAO-FWI recommendations, we have learned that we may not be able to use all of the new frames available to us, and we have identified some adaptations that will serve us in good stead as we move into the next phase of this work.A couple examples of incremental adjustments we have made when contextualizing (or framing) aging to help our external audiences (policy-makers and the public) better hear what we have to say are in order.2,7 First, earlier this year (as summarized in JAGS), we sent a series of letters to President Trump and leaders in the Senate and House of Representatives conveying our interest in collaborating on federal programs and policies that are important to older adults. 7 In the letters, we adapted the "social justice frame" that FWI proposed. 3,8 That frame helped us convey a simple message: Supporting social justice for us all as we age is our best chance for ensuring that all older Americans can remain in their homes and communities. 7 We then examined our advocacy on behalf of the geriatrics workforce through the lens of the LAO-FWI collaboration. After reviewing FWI recommendations, we identified that our framing of workforce issues could be improved. 3 We found value in the "building momentum" metaphor that FWI proposed. This metaphor emphasizes that we can "gather momentum through the build-up of experience and insights" over time, which makes a compelling case for the important roles geriatrics healthcare professionals play in keeping health care attuned to concepts like frailty, which will play an increasingly significant role in quality care as more of us age. 9,10The AGS is committed to evolving...

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“…The core of this cultural model, which has been found to shape public thinking about other social issues in North American culture (Lindland, Kendall-Taylor, Haydon, & Fond, 2016;Kendall-Taylor, McCollum, & Manuel, 2009;Hirschman, 2003;Triandis, 1989), is the assumption that the outcomes that people experience-specifically outcomes related to health and wellbeing-are primarily, if not exclusively, the result of individual choices, drive, and willpower. According to this assumption, contextual factors are largely irrelevant because outcomes are the result of individuals making good choices (or not).…”

Section: Individualismmentioning

confidence: 99%

Reframing Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder: Studying Culture to Identify Communication Challenges and Opportunities

Kendall-Taylor

Fond

2017

SMC

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Implicit cultural understandings challenge those working to increase public awareness and support for programs to prevent and address fetal alcohol spectrum disorder (FASD). Understanding these cultural beliefs reveals key challenges that communicators face; it also helps identify opportunities to foster public engagement and build support for policies and programs that are important for reducing the prevalence of FASD as a public health issue. Through a series of interviews with members of the public in Manitoba, Canada, we identify the cultural models that members of the Manitoban public draw on to make sense of this issue. These models and their implications are used to create a set of recommendations that can improve understanding of the issue, increase issue salience, and generate support for solutions. While the research presented is specific to Manitoba, findings have significance for those working on FASD in other areas and for those working on other public health and science translation projects.

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Gauging aging: Expert and public understandings of aging in America

Cited by 24 publications

References 37 publications

Future time perspective and awareness of age-related change: Examining their role in predicting psychological well-being.

Future time perspective and awareness of age-related change: Examining their role in predicting psychological well-being.

Reply to: Language Matters, So Geriatricians Should Talk of Declining Health and Death

Reframing Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder: Studying Culture to Identify Communication Challenges and Opportunities

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