THE RELATIONSHIP OF PERSONALITY-TRAIT VARIABLES TO SUBJECTIVE AGE IDENTITY IN OLDER ADULTS

The present study examines the relationship between personality trait variables and subjective age identity with two elderly samples. Subjec ts were asked both the age they feel (feel age) and the age they would like to be (ideal age). In Sample 1, which consisted of 241 community -dwelling adults aged 55 to 75 years, the traits of locus of control a nd social desirability were examined. In Sample 2, neuroticism, extrav ersion, and openness to experience were examined with 355 community-dw elling adults aged 55 to 85 years. Internal locus of control and extra version were related to the feel age measure, whereas powerful-others locus of control, neuroticism, extraversion, and openness to experienc e were related to the ideal age measure. Trait variables did not moder ate the relationships between the feel age measure and either self-rep orted health or affective state variables. However, both neuroticism a nd openness to experience were found to alter the relationship between the ideal age measure and affective state variables.