THE EXPERIENCE OF SUBJECTIVE AGE DURING EVERYDAY LIFE

Empirical work has shown that subjective age is susceptible to momentary fluctuation throughout the day, and in certain contexts like challenging cognitive evaluations. We propose and test a contextual model that describes how momentary experiences impact subjective age, which in turn impacts daily activities and well-being. Using an experience sampling approach, 200 participants were asked to complete 6 surveys per day for a week. Questions asked about the task they were engaged in, including mental, physical and social engagement, challenge, motivation, confidence, and enjoyment. Participants also completed a manipulation of mental challenge and reported their momentary subjective age. Preliminary multilevel models show that certain momentary factors, such as whether participants were enjoying a task or found the task engaging, predict fluctuations in subjective age. We will also discuss moderators, subjective age domains, time of day effects, and the cross-lagged influence of cognitive stressors over time.