Table 1.

Overview of Dimensions of Awareness of Age-Related Change

Dimension	Major content	Examples
Health and physical functioning	Perceived changes related to physical appearance, health, and physical functioning.	Awareness of graying of the hair, awareness of loss of stamina, diagnosis of an age-related disease (e.g., arthritis, diabetes), awareness of loss of physical strength and mobility.
Cognitive functioning	Perceived changes related to all cognitive processes and abilities, including processes related to the functioning of the central nervous system.	Awareness of changes in memory functioning, realization that learning new material takes longer, awareness of increasing expertise and world knowledge in specific areas.
Interpersonal relations	Perceived changes in social relationships, interactions, and communication.	Increased interest in mentoring of younger people and being involved in one’s community, prioritization of emotionally rewarding relationships over instrumental ones, increased focus on family relations.
Social–cognitive and social–emotional functioning	Perceived changes that relate to the aging self and the emotional domain.	Awareness of improved coping skills, being more calm in the face of conflict and stress, acknowledging the inherent relativity of important matters of life, awareness of decreasing self-efficacy, realistic evaluation of strengths and weaknesses.
Lifestyle and engagement	Perceived changes related to overall behavior in daily life.	Adjusting personal interests and activities to physical abilities, selecting activities to optimize enjoyment and personal fulfillment, satisfaction with one’s achievements.