title: The Role of Attitude Toward Own Aging for Fluid and Crystallized Functioning: 12-Year Evidence From the ILSE Study.
abstract: Aging attitudes have been shown to affect a variety of important developmental outcomes in old age, including memory. Extending previous research, the present study examined long-term effects of attitudes toward own aging (ATOA), relying on a broader range of cognitive abilities in later life.
  
  
  
  Data came from the Interdisciplinary Longitudinal Study of Adult Development and Aging (ILSE), with three measurement waves (1993/1994, 1997/1998, and 2005/2006) covering a 12-year interval. Drawing on the older of two available birth cohorts (1930-1932; n = 500), we analyzed the relationship between ATOA and change in fluid versus crystallized abilities based on overall and gender-specific latent change score models, while controlling for education and objective health.
  
  
  
  As expected, ATOA predicted change in fluid functioning-but not in crystallized performance-over 12 years. Gender-specific analyses revealed a stronger association between ATOA and decline in fluid abilities for men, even after controlling for health and education.
  
  
  
  This study adds to the understanding of long-term implications of aging attitudes for cognitive decline trajectories and shows that negative aging attitudes are a risk factor for age-vulnerable cognitive abilities, particularly among men. Further research is needed to better understand the underlying mechanisms of observed relationships.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychological Aging Research, Heidelberg University, Germany.
authors.forename: Jelena S
authors.initials: JS
authors.lastname: Siebert
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychological Aging Research, Heidelberg University, Germany.
authors.forename: Hans-Werner
authors.initials: HW
authors.lastname: Wahl
authors.affiliation: Section of Geriatric Psychiatry, Heidelberg University, Germany.
authors.forename: Johannes
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Schröder
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000375:Aging / Q000523:psychology*; D001294:Attitude to Health; D003071:Cognition; D000066492:Cognitive Aging / Q000523:psychology; D060825:Cognitive Dysfunction / Q000523:psychology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D008297:Male; D012649:Self Concept; D012737:Sex Factors