Ageing happens to all of us, every day. Yet many of us are taught to see it as a story of inevitable decline: slower thinking, less energy and fewer possibilities.

But what if the way we think about getting older shapes how we experience it, and even how long we live?

In this episode, Grace is joined Professor Binna Kandola OBE to explore the psychology of ageing. They discuss how the stereotypes we absorb throughout life can become self-fulfilling, influencing our confidence, behaviour, health and wellbeing as we grow older.

Drawing on research into self-perceptions of ageing, Binna explains why more positive attitudes towards getting older are associated with longer, healthier lives, and why it’s never too early, or too late, to challenge the assumptions we hold about age.

Available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and all major podcast platforms.

References:

• Tully-Wilson, C., Bojack, R., Millear, P.M., Stallman, H.M., Allen, A. and Mason, J. (2021) ‘Self-perceptions of aging: A systematic review of longitudinal studies’, Psychology and Aging, 36(7), pp. 773–789.
• Levy, B. (2009) ‘Stereotype embodiment: A psychosocial approach to aging’, Current Directions in Psychological Science, 18(6), pp. 332–336.