Aging Is in the Eye of the Beholder

Abstract: Background: Psychological views on aging are often captured by self-report quantitative questionnaires. By default, these measures base the assessment on predefined categories and focus on explicit cognitions. Digital technology, such as smartphones is always at hand in everyday life and offers options for ecological momentary assessment of views on aging. Aims: We aimed to systematically study differences in contents and the relative importance of views on aging in different age groups across the life span. By our study, we provide proof of concept for a photo-based assessment method that allows both qualitative and quantitative analyses. Method: We asked young (20–30-yr-old), young-old (50–69-yr-old), and old–old (70-plus-yr-old) participants ( N = 37) to take photographs on what aging means to them. We subjected the resultant 376 photos to a mixed-method content analysis. Results: Seventy-plus participants took more complex, slightly less positive, and more ambivalent pictures. Younger participants’ pictures addressed physical changes, whereas 50–69-year-old adults predominantly dealt with issues of lifestyle and engagement. Photos of the 70+ adults had a high prevalence of living environment features. Limitations: Data from this proof-of-concept study should be confirmed in a larger sample, clarifying also the role of further sociodemographic variations (e.g., gender, income). Conclusion: Using photographs to capture images of aging provides insights into the occurrence, the accentuations, and the relative importance of multidimensional and multidirectional views on aging in everyday life across different age groups. The variation in both quantity and quality across different age groups indicates domain-specific foci and hints at age-specific discourses on age and aging. Digital devices, such as smartphones, allow for a highly flexible, nonsuggestive, and virtually nonverbal assessment of views on aging. Findings inform endeavours to promote healthy aging as well as strategies to increase intergenerational dialogue.