Abstract: Using data from the 2018 and 2020 China Longitudinal Aging Social Survey (CLASS), this study defines age identity by comparing perceived old age with chronological age and measures social participation across economic, volunteer, religious, and leisure activities. We employ the instrumental variable method to explore the impact of age identity on the social participation of older adults. The results show that positive age identity significantly promotes the social participation of older adults, primarily by improving their health and strengthening their social adaptability. This increase in social participation is most evident in economic, volunteer, and leisure activities. The impact of positive age identity on social participation is more pronounced among older women than among older men. A higher level of positive age identity is associated with increased social participation among older adults aged 60 to 69 years old. However, when the level of positive age perception is higher, it has no significant effect on social participation among older adults aged 70 to 79 years old.

Keywords: Age Identity, Perceived Old Age, Social Participation, Health Status, Social Adaptation

摘要： 利用2018年和2020年中国老年社会追踪调查(CLASS)数据，通过比较感知老年标准与生理年龄的大小来界定年龄认知，从经济活动、志愿活动、宗教活动和休闲活动4个方面衡量老年人社会参与，并采用工具变量法检验年龄认知对老年人社会参与的影响。研究发现:积极的年龄认知能够显著促进老年人的社会参与;积极的年龄认知会通过改善老年人的健康状况、增强老年人的社会适应性来促进其社会参与;积极的年龄认知对老年人社会参与的促进作用主要体现在提升了老年人经济活动、志愿活动和休闲活动的参与率;积极的年龄认知对老年女性社会参与的促进作用显著大于老年男性;积极年龄认知程度越高，越能促进60~69岁老年人的社会参与，但较高的积极年龄认知程度对70~79岁老年人的社会参与并没有显著影响。

关键词: 年龄认知, 感知老年标准, 社会参与, 健康状况, 社会适应性