THE AGING SELF - STABILIZING AND PROTECTIVE PROCESSES

The transition from middle to later adulthood involves a multitude of changes and losses on physical, psychological, and social levels that impose considerable strain on the individual's construction of self an d personal continuity. Widespread assumptions which relate psychologic al aging to reduced well-being, loss of control, and problems of self- esteem, however, have received astonishingly little empirical support. Recent evidence rather gives testimony to a considerable resourcefuln ess and adaptive flexibility of the aging self. The present article at tempts to lend further substance to this emerging picture of psycholog ical aging. It is argued that preservation and stabilization of a posi tive view of self and personal development in later life basically inv olve three functionally interdependent processes: (a) instrumental and compensatory activities that aim at preventing or alleviating losses in domains which are relevant to self-esteem and identity; (b) accommo dative changes and readjustments of personal goals and aspirations, wh ich dampen or neutralize negative self-evaluations; (c) immunizing mec hanisms, which mitigate the impact of self-discrepant evidence. (C) 19 94 Academic Press, Inc.