Age Differences in Self-Continuity in Germany and the United States: The Role of Temporal Direction, Temporal Distance, and Demographics.

ABSTRACT:

Objectives

Previous research suggests that self-continuity is higher in older ages, especially for more distant intervals. This study extends prior work by examining age and temporal patterns of self-continuity in 2 adult life-span samples from Germany and the United States.

Methods

German data (n = 1,656, aged 18-93) were drawn from the German Socioeconomic Panel. U.S. data (n = 230, aged 18-87) were collected through a survey research firm. Preregistered multilevel analyses examined the roles of age, temporal direction (past/future), and temporal distance (1/5/10 years), and explored the role of demographic covariates.

Results

In both data sets, self-continuity was higher in older ages and decreased with distance from the present, especially for the past. Interactio

SUBMITTER: Lu Y 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC10174281 | biostudies-literature | 2023 May

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature