Abstract: In the new era where rapid population ageing has become a fundamental national condition, cultivating positive ageing attitudes is pivotal to achieving “Healthy Ageing” and “Active Ageing” in China. However, existing research largely relies on cross-sectional data and thus fails to reveal the dynamic evolutionary mechanisms of ageing attitudes over the life course or their underlying structural logic. Ageing attitudes reflect both older adults' internal perceptions of senescence and society's valuation of the elderly, and their developmental trajectories critically shape quality of life in later years.

Drawing on life course theory—with a specific focus on random variability, trajectory divergence, and cumulative advantage/disadvantage—and using three waves of panel data (2014, 2020, and 2023) from the China Longitudinal Aging Social Survey (CLASS), this study employs hierarchical linear growth models to systematically examine the dynamic evolution, dimensional differentiation, and social stratification effects of ageing attitudes among Chinese older adults. It addresses three core questions: whether ageing attitudes change with advancing age, whether inter-individual divergence intensifies or mitigates over time, and how educational attainment and urban-rural residence shape these developmental trajectories.

Three key findings emerge. First, ageing attitudes exhibit significant dimensional divergence. Self-related ageing attitudes become markedly more negative with advancing age, reflecting the negative impact of embodied experiences such as functional decline; conversely, general ageing attitudes shift significantly toward positivity, shaped by the discourse of successful ageing. This creates a cognitive distinction characterised by a “self-negative, group-positive” pattern. Second, the evolution of ageing attitudes presents a complex pattern of trajectory divergence but level convergence. While substantial random variation exists in initial levels and rates of change, the trajectories follow an evolutionary mode of “rapid decline from high starting points, slow change from low starting points”. Consequently, the gap between high-initial and low-initial groups progressively narrows as the ageing process unfolds, demonstrating an “equalising effect” inherent in late-life development. Third, education and residence exert opposing moderating effects onthe initial level and rate of change of ageing attitudes. Although older adults with upper secondary education or higher and those in urban areas start with more positive ageing attitudes, they experience a significantly faster rate of decline than their less-educated and rural counterparts. The latter group, despite lower initial levels, shows greater psychological resilience and improving trends, thereby substantially reducing psychological inequality across social groups over time.

These findings challenge the classical life course premise that cumulative advantage/disadvantage inevitably leads to persistent divergence. It provides robust empirical evidence from the Chinese context for a “psychological rebalancing mechanism” in advanced old age, whereby the universality of objective ageing realities weakens the persistence of early-life resource advantages, and the tension between subjective expectations and objective realities drives convergence in ageing attitudes. Theoretically, this study integrates structural position and psychological agency, offering a more integrated understanding of late-life psychological development. Practically, it suggests that ageing policies should shift from focusing on “starting-point equity” to emphasising “process-oriented intervention”, distinguish between self-related and general dimensions for targeted implementation, and establish dynamic trajectory-based evaluation mechanisms to build a more inclusive and process-sensitive governance system for ageing.

Keywords: Population Ageing, Ageing Attitudes, Developmental Trajectories, Healthy Ageing, Active Ageing

摘要： 老化态度是个体对老化的体验和评价，关乎老年心理健康。本文基于2014年、2020年和2023年中国老年社会追踪调查(CLASS)数据，运用分层线性增长模型，系统考察中国老年人老化态度随年龄增长的演进特征。研究发现，中国老年人老化态度的演进呈现维度分化、轨迹分化、水平趋同的复杂图景：自我老化态度随年龄增长显著消极化，一般老化态度则显著积极化，形成“自我消极—群体积极”的认知区隔；老化态度的初始水平及发展轨迹皆存在显著的随机分化，其轨迹演进呈现“高起点快下滑、低起点缓变化”的特征，使初始差异随老年期推进而收敛；受教育程度与城乡居住地对老化态度的初始水平和变化率有反向调节作用，高中及以上受教育程度及城镇老年人老化态度的消极化速度更快。老化态度分化与趋同的演进模式启示我们：政策干预应区分老化态度维度，针对不同老年群体的心理演进轨迹实施分类支持措施，并构建更具过程敏感性的动态老龄治理体系。

关键词: 人口老龄化, 老化态度, 发展轨迹, 健康老龄化, 积极老龄化