What will remain when we are gone? Finitude and generation identity in the second half of life

According to the dual age identity model, there are 2 types of age-related identities: 1 reflecting a person's chronological age (i.e., age group membership) and 1 reflecting a person's generation (i.e., cohort membership). Research has shown that, in the second half of life, people begin to identify more with their generation than with their chronological age. However, it is not yet clear why this is the case. The present research tests the hypothesis that generation identification is motivated by a need for continuity in the face of finitude. As predicted, Study 1 (N = 250, 18-77 years) demonstrates that asking participants to think about the last day of their life to induce thoughts about life's finitude (vs. a control condition) led to higher levels of generation identification in midlife and beyond. Study 2 (N = 91, 18-83 years) shows that advanced age is associated with the need for generational continuity that, in turn, predicts a stronger identification with one's generation. The discussion focuses on the age-differential function of generation identity in the face of finitude.