Studying aging now requires going beyond the bio-psycho-social model and incorporating a broader multidisciplinary view capable of capturing the ultimate complexity of being human that is expressed as individuals age. Current demographic trends and the lengthening of life expectancies allow the observation of long-lived individuals in full health. These super-agers are no longer an exception. Indeed, individuals can have a good quality of life even over age 70 and living with chronic or neurodegenerative diseases. This change is driven in part by the cohort effect observed in people who are about to age today (e.g., better schooling, more advanced health conditions, and technologization) but more so by the gradual overcoming of ageist views. An aged person is no longer seen as a quitter but rather as one empowered to direct their own trajectory of potentially healthy longevity. According to this vision, this article proposes a situated lifespan perspective for the study of aging that integrates pedagogical models of developmental ecology with psychological theories of optimal experience to understand the individual motivational perspective on aging. At the same time, it does not disregard analyzing the daily and cultural contexts in which everyone situates and that guide aging trajectories. Nor does it forget that aging people are body-mind (embodied) organisms that, with contexts and through motivations, seize opportunities for action (affordances) to evolve in an optimal way during their lifespan. This theoretical reflection sheds new light on the aging process and on future trends in healthy longevity research.

(2024). Longevity as a Responsibility: Constructing Healthy Aging by Enacting within Contexts over the Entire Lifespan [journal article - articolo]. In GERIATRICS. Retrieved from https://hdl.handle.net/10446/281169

Longevity as a Responsibility: Constructing Healthy Aging by Enacting within Contexts over the Entire Lifespan

Morganti, Francesca
2024-01-01

Abstract

Studying aging now requires going beyond the bio-psycho-social model and incorporating a broader multidisciplinary view capable of capturing the ultimate complexity of being human that is expressed as individuals age. Current demographic trends and the lengthening of life expectancies allow the observation of long-lived individuals in full health. These super-agers are no longer an exception. Indeed, individuals can have a good quality of life even over age 70 and living with chronic or neurodegenerative diseases. This change is driven in part by the cohort effect observed in people who are about to age today (e.g., better schooling, more advanced health conditions, and technologization) but more so by the gradual overcoming of ageist views. An aged person is no longer seen as a quitter but rather as one empowered to direct their own trajectory of potentially healthy longevity. According to this vision, this article proposes a situated lifespan perspective for the study of aging that integrates pedagogical models of developmental ecology with psychological theories of optimal experience to understand the individual motivational perspective on aging. At the same time, it does not disregard analyzing the daily and cultural contexts in which everyone situates and that guide aging trajectories. Nor does it forget that aging people are body-mind (embodied) organisms that, with contexts and through motivations, seize opportunities for action (affordances) to evolve in an optimal way during their lifespan. This theoretical reflection sheds new light on the aging process and on future trends in healthy longevity research.
francesca.morganti@unibg.it
articolo
12-lug-2024
2024
Inglese
online
9
4
1
16
esperti anonimi
Settore PSIC-01/A - Psicologia generale
Settore PSIC-01/B - Neuropsicologia e neuroscienze cognitive
affordance; ecological lifespan development; emotional selectivity; empowerment; enactive cognition; flow experience; healthy aging; longevity; motivation; quality of life
   Development and testing of psycho-promotion indicators for a successful aging in old-adults
   MUR - MINISTERO DELL'UNIVERSITA' E DELLA RICERCA - Segretariato generale Direzione generale della ricerca - Ufficio IV
   2022RAESSJ_01
Morganti, Francesca
info:eu-repo/semantics/article
open
(2024). Longevity as a Responsibility: Constructing Healthy Aging by Enacting within Contexts over the Entire Lifespan [journal article - articolo]. In GERIATRICS. Retrieved from https://hdl.handle.net/10446/281169
Non definito
1
1.1 Contributi in rivista - Journal contributions::1.1.01 Articoli/Saggi in rivista - Journal Articles/Essays
262
File allegato/i alla scheda:
File Dimensione del file Formato  
geriatrics-09-00093-v2.pdf

accesso aperto

Descrizione: Morganti2024_geriatrics
Versione: publisher's version - versione editoriale
Licenza: Creative commons
Dimensione del file 1.37 MB
Formato Adobe PDF
1.37 MB Adobe PDF Visualizza/Apri
Pubblicazioni consigliate

Aisberg ©2008 Servizi bibliotecari, Università degli studi di Bergamo | Terms of use/Condizioni di utilizzo

Utilizza questo identificativo per citare o creare un link a questo documento: https://hdl.handle.net/10446/281169
Citazioni
  • Scopus 2
  • ???jsp.display-item.citation.isi??? 3
social impact