Paul B. Baltes and Margret M. Baltes

In the following viewpoint, Paul B. Baltes and Margret M. Baltes argue that the aging experience is positive for many older adults, although they caution that it is a more negative experience for adults in their mid-eighties and beyond. The authors maintain that people in their sixties and seventies have the same level of emotional well-being as younger adults. They also note that these older adults have a greater capacity for wisdom and can help other people benefit from what they have learned. However, the authors contend that people who are in advanced old age experience significant losses in their ability to function psychologically and mentally. Paul B. Baltes is the director of the Center for Lifespan Psychology at the Berlin Max Planck Institute for Human Development. Prior...