Contextual determinants of subjective age in midlife and old age: The example of daily variations in COVID-19 infection rates.

Feeling younger than one's age reflects a process of age-group dissociation that is frequently activated when belonging to one's age group has negative connotations. Regarding the Corona pandemic, time periods with a higher number of individuals infected with coronavirus disease (COVID-19) might have elicited younger subjective ages, particularly among older adults as they belonged to a "COVID-19 risk group." We investigated the subjective age of n = 233 German individuals aged 47-94 years who were assessed between June and September 2020. COVID-19 cases in Germany were considerably rising from August 2020 on. We were able to confirm an association between a higher infection rate and a younger subjective age; individuals assessed in June, July, August, and September felt on average 9.2%, 9.6%, 13.2%, and 19.2% younger than their chronological age. Controlling for subjective age assessed prior to the pandemic, current depressive symptoms and health concerns, as well as for age, gender, and education, the effect of month of assessment on subjective age remained significant. Also, the number of new COVID-19 infections reported on each individual's day of assessment was a significant predictor of subjective age. The association between a higher infection rate and a younger subjective age was stronger among individuals who were chronologically older and those who reported stronger health concerns. Our findings thus suggest that individuals-particularly those who are older and those who are more worried about their health-feel younger at times when COVID-19 infection rates are higher, which might be a mechanism to cope with the virus threat. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2022 APA, all rights reserved).