title: Short-Term Buffers, but Long-Term Suffers? Differential Effects of Negative Self-Perceptions of Aging Following Serious Health Events.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Large longitudinal studies show that negative self-perceptions of aging can be detrimental for health outcomes. However, negative self-perceptions of aging (i.e., associating aging with physical losses) might be adaptive because they prepare individuals for serious health events (SHEs), resulting in short-term positive effects as opposed to long-term negative effects on well-being and health.
  
  
  METHODS
  Longitudinal data from 309 older adults (aged 65 and older) were analyzed. Short-term (6 months) and long-term (2.5 years) effects after a SHE of negative self-perceptions of aging on functional limitations (FLs) and negative affect (NA) were investigated.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Results show that in the case of a SHE, individuals with more negative self-perceptions of aging reported less NA after 6 months but more FLs after 2.5 years. In contrast, individuals with less negative self-perceptions of aging reported more NA in the short-run but less FLs later on.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  People with more negative self-perceptions of aging may be mentally prepared for health events or may have habituated to health declines. Individuals with more positive self-perceptions, in contrast, may invest a lot in coping efforts immediately after the health event. Similarities to research on unrealistic optimism are discussed.
authors.affiliation: German Centre of Gerontology, Berlin, Germany.
authors.forename: Julia K
authors.initials: JK
authors.lastname: Wolff
authors.affiliation: School of Psychology, University of Tasmania, Hobart, Australia.
authors.forename: Benjamin
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Schüz
authors.affiliation: German Centre of Gerontology, Berlin, Germany.
authors.forename: Jochen P
authors.initials: JP
authors.lastname: Ziegelmann
authors.affiliation: German Centre of Gerontology, Berlin, Germany.|Department of Health Psychology, Freie Universität Berlin, Germany.
authors.forename: Lisa M
authors.initials: LM
authors.lastname: Warner
authors.affiliation: German Centre of Gerontology, Berlin, Germany.|Institute of Psychogerontology, University of Erlangen-Nuremberg, Nuremberg, Germany.
authors.forename: Susanne
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Wurm
mesh_terms: D000339:Affect / Q000502:physiology*; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000375:Aging / Q000523:psychology*; D005260:Female; D005858:Germany; D006304:Health Status; D006801:Humans; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D008297:Male; D012649:Self Concept; D013997:Time Factors
keywords: Functional health; Negative affect; Self-perceptions of aging