Internalizing active aging norms: Self-attributed responsibility as a mediator linking prescriptive views on aging to...

Older adults face prescriptive expectations about aging, including active aging norms emphasizing physical activity, social engagement, and autonomy. While previous research has linked active aging norms to health-related and social behaviors, no studies to date have examined whether and how these norms are related to proactive, future-oriented behaviors such as late-life preparation. Drawing on theories of norm internalization, this study examines self-attributed responsibility for aging preparation as a mediator linking active aging norms to late-life preparation.

Data were drawn from the Ageing as Future project and included 1,003 participants aged 34 to 90 years (M = 58.82 years; 52% female). Late-life preparation was assessed using two complementary indicators: a count-based checklist of concrete preparatory behaviors and a continuous scale of perceived preparatory engagement. Mediation analyses were conducted using PROCESS models, with Poisson regression-based mediation applied to the behavioral count outcome.

Across both indicators, stronger endorsement of active aging norms was associated with greater engagement in late-life preparation. These associations were partially mediated by perceived responsibility, indicating that individuals endorsing active aging norms more strongly were more likely to perceive preparation as their own responsibility, which was itself associated with higher preparatory engagement.

The findings suggest that active aging norms are associated with late-life preparation in part through a greater sense of personal obligation to manage one's own aging process, highlighting the role of norm internalization and perceived responsibility in translating prescriptive views of aging into proactive behavior.