Foreword; Part I: Conceptual Issues; 1. A New Paradigm in the Study of Aging; Traditions in the Study of Aging, Age, and the Aged; Evolution in Research on Active Aging; Empirical Bases of Active Aging; Concluding Remarks; 2. Population Aging: Facts and Projections; Life Expectancy Enlargement; Population Aging; Years to Life and Life to Years; Morbidity Hypotheses; Determinants of Morbidity; Concluding Remarks; 3. Working, Empirical, and Lay Definitions, and Theoretical Models; Introduction; Controversial Issues; Working Definitions; Empirical Definitions; Lay Concepts; Theoretical Models; Toward a Multidimensional-Multilevel Proposal of Active Aging; Psychological Domains Contributing to Active Aging; Concluding Remarks; Part II: Behavioral and Psychological Domains of Active Aging; 4. Behavioral Health and Physical Fitness; Introduction; Physical Exercise; Diet and Nutrition; Smoking and Drinking; Concluding Remarks; 5. Cognitive Functioning; Introduction; Education and Socioeconomic Status; Physical Exercise; Activity; Cognitive Training and Intervention; Concluding remarks; 6. Emotional and Motivational Functioning: Affect, Control, and Coping; Introduction; Positive Emotions and Positive Aging; Personal Control; Coping with Stress; Concluding Remarks; 7. Social Functioning and Participation; Social Functioning and Positive Emotions Across Life Span; Social Functioning and Health; Social Functioning and Cognitive Impairment; Concluding Remarks; Part III: Promoting Active Aging; 8. Active Aging Promotion Programs; Introduction; Lifelong Health Promotion; Promoting Healthy Aging During Adulthood; Cognitive Impairment; Active-Aging Promotion Projects; Population-Based Projects; Concluding Remarks; Conclusion; References; Selected Websites on Active Aging.

Aging well and continuing to be active are often regarded as THE goals in life, from individual, family, community, and population perspectives. This implies good health and physical fitness, good cognitive and positive emotional-motivational functioning, and social participation and engagement.

Increasing life expectancy by means of biomedical advances is not on its own enough, however. Research shows that an individual's psychological condition contributes to their quality of life and well-being in old age - and that behavioral and psychological interventions can also prevent illness, improve cognitive and physical fitness, and increase positive emotional functioning and social participation.

This book shows how psychologists and psychological science as a whole can face the challenge of promoting optimal and active aging in a society that is growing ever older.