Older Adults’ Recalled Memorable Messages About Death, Dying, and the Afterlife and Their Associations with Successful Aging

Grounded in the communicative ecology model of successful aging, this study examined how memorable messages about death, dying, and the afterlife (DDA) are associated with aging experiences. In a self-report survey, older adults ( N = 300, M age = 59.74 years) wrote a memorable message about DDA and reported on the message's motivational impact. They also reported on their affect about aging, aging efficacy, and successful aging. The memorable messages were coded into themes, and path modeling revealed that the themes of people (a) engaging in some activity after they die, (b) cherishing life, (c) leaving a legacy, and (d) experiencing eternal damnation were associated with memorable message motivational impact (MMMI). MMMI was indirectly associated with successful aging, via the serial mediators of positive affect about aging and aging efficacy. Positive affect about aging may be a crucial mediating mechanism that helps translate experiences with memorable messages into successful aging.