The Measurement of Social Age

Abstract

A simple-variable measure of social age was developed by regressing chronological age on a number of social correlates of age. The correlates tapped life styles relating to family, work and retirement. The estimated age, in units of years, was taken as the social age. This composite measure was calculated for subjects of the VA Normative Aging Study from a ten-variable equation. “Old” social age was indicated by a greater degree of settling in to one's job, more staving off of retirement, less likelihood of moving and contacts with relatives and greater likelihood of wife's employment than is true of one's age peers. The measure is useful for interdisciplinary analysis with other “ages” similarly derived, such as psychological age, biochemistry age and auditory age, as well as for social gerontologic analysis of subpopulations defined on the basis of age-invariant criteria such as social class and stress experience.