Cognitive age: a new multidimensional approach to measuring age identity.
An exploratory field study was undertaken to explore the way in which age-concepts are experienced, and to assess the relationship of age identities to each other. In addition, this study seeks to establish a new multidimensional age scale, Cognitive Age, to replace the well-established standard scale, Identity Age. This research also functions as a follow-up to an exploration by Kastenbaum et al. of "ages-of-me." Ths most frequently used subjective age measures, Identity Age and Feel/Age, are unidimensional, and thus very difficult to evaluate in terms of reliability and/or validity. A multidimensional view of age as reflected by Personal Age is very appealing, but complex to assess. Cognitive Age successfully merges Identity Age, in which respondents identify with age-referrent groupings, and Personal Age, in which respondents rate themselves in terms of four functional age dimensions. The resultant Cognitive Age scale is both reliable and valid.
Hofstra University, Hempstead, NY 11550.
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Barak
D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D000368:Aged; D000375:Aging / Q000523:psychology*; D003071:Cognition; D003710:Demography; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D012649:Self Concept