Positive orientation, self-esteem, and satisfaction with life in the context of subjective age in older adults

•The majority of seniors report younger subjective age.•Subjective age is a strong predictor of positive orientation and life satisfaction.•Subjective age is significantly associated with self-esteem.•The phenomenon of psychological “rejuvenation” has an adaptive function in ageing.

The aim of this research was to explore the connection between subjective age and positive orientation in old age. A group of 194 seniors were examined using the Positivity Scale, the Rosenberg Self-esteem Scale, and the Satisfaction with Life Scale. The results revealed that a majority of the sample reported younger subjective age.Hierarchical regression analysis indicated that subjective age was a significantly stronger predictor of positive orientation, satisfaction with life, and self-esteem than chronological age, and it also had a unique explanatory power above and beyond self-reported health functioning. It was found that chronological age as a single predictor did not have any meaning in defining the variance of psychological variables among older adults.