Psychological Well-Being and Self-Aging Attitudes Moderate the Association between Subjective Age and Age Discrimination in the Workplace

Assaf Suberry, Ehud Bodner

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

Abstract

Views of aging include peoples’ assessment of their own aging process and their subjective age. Positive views of aging relate to a improved psychological well-being which predicts better physical and mental health. While these relationships were substantially studied, the moderating roles of self-aging attitudes and psychological well-being in the subjective age–age discrimination connection have been much less explored. The current study used a convenience sample of 568 participants (mean = 66.21y, SD = 11.95, age range 50–95), 55.8% women, 67.1% employed. In line with the hypotheses, young subjective age and psychological well-being were connected to less age discrimination in the workplace, and higher psychological well-being mitigated the subjective age–age discrimination at work connection. When the perception of old age as a period of loss was added to the model, adults who perceived old age as a period of loss and reported lower levels of psychological well-being demonstrated the strongest relationship between an increase in subjective age and an increase in age-related discrimination at work. The findings emphasize the importance of the psychological well-being of older employees as a resource for improving their attitudes towards their last years at work.

Original languageEnglish
Article number742
JournalBehavioral Sciences
Volume14
Issue number9
DOIs
StatePublished - 25 Aug 2024

Bibliographical note

Publisher Copyright:
© 2024 by the authors.

Keywords

  • age discrimination in the workplace
  • ageism
  • positive psychology
  • psychological well-being
  • subjective age

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