The Association between Self-Perceptions of Aging (SPA) and Executive Functions in Older Adults: A Scoping Review

This scoping review aims to systematically map how the relationship between self-perceptions of aging (SPA) and executive functions is conceptualised and operationalised in the existing literature. Specifically, it examines how SPA and executive functioning (e.g., inhibition, working memory updating, shifting, and broader executive control processes) are defined, measured, and theoretically framed, as well as the study designs, populations, and analytical approaches employed. Guided by Stereotype Embodiment Theory and the Awareness of Age-Related Change (AARC) framework, the review seeks to synthesise how scholars have positioned SPA as a potential determinant of cognitive functioning in later life.