INDIVIDUAL PSYCHOLOGICAL SOURCES OF LIFE EXPECTANCY: CURRENT AND PROSPECTIVE STUDIES

Abstract

The objective of the study is to identify the key individual psychological sources that determine the duration of human life, to show the directions and points of view of objective (biological) and subjective (psychological) mechanisms of individual duration, as well as to identify the promising areas of research in this area. The author analyzes and summarizes scientific ideas and modern empirical evidence on the impact of psychological factors on human life expectancy. The paper states the actual shift of research in the field of longevity from biological to psychological determinants of individual duration, with the emphasis on the parameters of relations as a “general” factor determining the quality and duration of human existence. On the basis of systematization and integration of classical and modern scientific ideas about longevity, the author has identified several leading, most promising areas of research, in which the key mechanisms that allow an individual to exercise a life expectancy close to the limit values can be found. The notion of “virtual age” is offered to further scientific research.

Keywords

• duration of life
• psychological mechanisms
• personal facts
• interpersonal facts