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Now on to the episode.

Ageism.

It's one prejudice that many of us share, and many of us may face it if we're lucky enough to live a long life.

From cosmetics ads that promise a fountain of youth to those ubiquitous OK boomer memes, it's pretty clear that in American culture, old is

synonymous with pasture prime and aging is seen as something to dread. But psychologist's research

suggests that contrary to the myths and stereotypes we may have absorbed, aging often comes with

positive changes. And by believing in and propagating

negative myths about aging, we can do ourselves real harm. So what do the physical, cognitive,

and emotional changes that come with age actually look like? What do we lose and what do we gain as we age?

How much of our aging is under our control and how much is determined by genetics or luck?

How does the age bias and discrimination that people experience in their daily lives affect them?

And what kinds of interventions are researchers developing that could help us all stay happy and healthy in older adulthood.

Welcome to Speaking of Psychology, the flagship podcast of the American Psychological Association

that examines the links between psychological science and everyday life. I'm Kim Mills.

My guest today is Dr. Manfred Deal, a university distinguished professor in the Department of Human and Family Studies at Colorado State University.

He is a lifespan developmental psychologist who studies adult development with a focus on how to achieve successful and healthy aging. He studies how

middle-aged and older adults become aware of their own aging and how self-perceptions of aging

are related to people's physical health and psychological well-being. He has won many awards for

his research and mentoring and is co-author of the book, The Psychology of Later

...