Dr. Becca Levy On The Psychology of Aging & Common Misconceptions About Getting Older

Apr 14, 2022

Today’s guest is Dr. Becca Levy. Dr. Levy, the leading authority on how beliefs about aging influence aging health, is Professor of Epidemiology at the Yale School of Public Health and Professor of Psychology at Yale University. Her path finding studies have changed the way we think about aging and have received awards from the American Psychological Association, the Gerontological Society of America, and the International Association of Gerontology and Geriatrics. She serves as a scientific advisor to the World Health Organization’s Campaign to Combat Ageism. 

We talk about the most common perception on aging and the limitations that come with it, the misconception around age related depression, the importance of continuous mind stimulation, the benefits of developing an age belief portfolio, and so much more!

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What to Listen For:

• 00:00 Intro
• 00:32 Is age really just a number?
• 02:20 The misconception around ‘senior moment’
• 04:14 How do we enjoy “getting old”?
• 11:09 Age beliefs and longevity
• 16:50 Getting comfortable about death
• 17:42 The big misconception about depression 
• 20:30 Do older people have better mental health?
• 25:28 Digital divide is strong in older people
• 29:26 Is staying in the same routine positive or negative?
• 31:37 The importance of continuous mind stimulation 
• 35:10 On discounts and different pricing structures for seniors
• 38:48 Develop an age belief portfolio
• 40:50 Find a community that is free of ageism
• 43:18 Psychological vs biological age 

Episode Resources:

• Becca Levy | Website
• Breaking the Age Code

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