Age Schemas and their Contribution to Age Identity in the Elderly

This research studied the content of age schemas and different ways schematic and aschematic individuals identify with age group and themselves. It was documented, that age-schematic individuals believe, that the age influences their physical health, plans for the future and overall attitude to life. Age-schematic individuals experience themselves to be older and less satisfied by the age, than aschematic ones. Comparing the way schematic and aschematic respondents characterize age-group and themselves, it was revealed that the former consider the age group less attractive, identify themselves with a role «the Elderly person» more strongly and characterize themselves using old age negative stereotypes, the latter, on the contrary, demonstrate positive attitude to their age group and themselves.