The Role of Life Satisfaction and Optimism for Successful Aging in Mid and Late Life

Abstract

Guided by the Rowe and Kahn model, the current study examined the longitudinal association of objective and subjective components of successful aging (SA) with individuals’ life satisfaction and level of optimism across adulthood aiming to validate the related scanty existing research. Data were from waves 2 and 3 (2004–14) of the Midlife in the United States (MIDUS) study. Using structural equation modeling, we examined (N = 2,040) whether subjective life satisfaction (wave 2) has any effect on a composite measure of SA (wave 3) while controlling for baseline sociodemographic and health factors. We also examined the mediation effects of optimism in the above associations. Findings revealed that life satisfaction has a significant positive effect on SA; also, this effect is bidirectional. Further, high optimism positively mediated the bidirectional association between life satisfaction and SA. This study identified life satisfaction and optimism as having potentially positive impacts on achieving SA in middle-aged and older adults.

Keywords

Midlife in the United States (MIDUS)successful aging cognition life satisfaction social relationships

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