Activating and strengthening connection to future selves boosts retirement preparation among middle-aged working adults over a 6-month period

Dannii Yuen-lan Yeung; Edwin Ka Hung Chung; Michael C.H. Chan; Alvin Chong Hang Lam; Gloria Jiahui Lin

doi:10.1177/07334648261441405

Activating and strengthening connection to future selves boosts retirement preparation among middle-aged working adults over a 6-month period

Dannii Yuen-lan Yeung^*
, Edwin Ka Hung Chung
, Michael C.H. Chan
, Alvin Chong Hang Lam
, Gloria Jiahui Lin

^*Corresponding author for this work

Department of Social and Behavioural Sciences

Research output: Journal Publications and Reviews › RGC 21 - Publication in refereed journal › peer-review

Abstract

This study examined the effects of an integrated intervention involving exposure to aged future self and a writing task on retirement planning among 235 young and middle-aged working adults. Participants were randomly assigned into three groups: control group (CS), experimental group (FS), and experimental group with a writing task (FSW). The experimental groups viewed an age-morphed photo of their future selves while the control group saw a photo of their current selves. Afterward, the FSW group completed a five-day diary writing task about improvement plan for their aged future selves’ well-being, while the FS and CS groups did not. Although no significant
main effects of experimental conditions were shown, middle-aged FSW participants reported more financial and psychological retirement planning at the six-month follow-up compared to the CS group and young FSW participants. The implications for targeting specific age groups using unique psychological intervention approaches to encourage retirement planning were discussed. © The Author(s) 2026

Original language	English
Journal	Journal of Applied Gerontology
Online published	8 Apr 2026
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1177/07334648261441405
Publication status	Online published - 8 Apr 2026

Funding

The study was supported by the General Research Fund from the Research Grants Committee of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (Project no.: 11610022), which was awarded to DY. The funder had no role in study design, data collection, data analyses, data interpretation, or preparation of the manuscript.

Research Keywords

Future self-continuity
Retirement planning
Working adults
Age effect

RGC Funding Information

RGC-funded

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10.1177/07334648261441405

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Permanent Link

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GRF: Retirement Planning: Feeling Closer and Doing More for Our Future-selves
YEUNG, D. (Principal Investigator / Project Coordinator), CHAN, M. C. H. (Co-Investigator) & LAM, A. C. H. (Co-Investigator)
1/01/23 → 25/06/26
Project: Research

Cite this

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title = "Activating and strengthening connection to future selves boosts retirement preparation among middle-aged working adults over a 6-month period",

abstract = "This study examined the effects of an integrated intervention involving exposure to aged future self and a writing task on retirement planning among 235 young and middle-aged working adults. Participants were randomly assigned into three groups: control group (CS), experimental group (FS), and experimental group with a writing task (FSW). The experimental groups viewed an age-morphed photo of their future selves while the control group saw a photo of their current selves. Afterward, the FSW group completed a five-day diary writing task about improvement plan for their aged future selves{\textquoteright} well-being, while the FS and CS groups did not. Although no significant main effects of experimental conditions were shown, middle-aged FSW participants reported more financial and psychological retirement planning at the six-month follow-up compared to the CS group and young FSW participants. The implications for targeting specific age groups using unique psychological intervention approaches to encourage retirement planning were discussed. {\textcopyright} The Author(s) 2026",

keywords = "Future self-continuity, Retirement planning, Working adults, Age effect",

author = "Yeung, \{Dannii Yuen-lan\} and Chung, \{Edwin Ka Hung\} and Chan, \{Michael C.H.\} and Lam, \{Alvin Chong Hang\} and Lin, \{Gloria Jiahui\}",

year = "2026",

month = apr,

day = "8",

doi = "10.1177/07334648261441405",

language = "English",

journal = "Journal of Applied Gerontology",

issn = "0733-4648",

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Activating and strengthening connection to future selves boosts retirement preparation among middle-aged working adults over a 6-month period. / Yeung, Dannii Yuen-lan ; Chung, Edwin Ka Hung; Chan, Michael C.H. et al.
In: Journal of Applied Gerontology, 08.04.2026.

Research output: Journal Publications and Reviews › RGC 21 - Publication in refereed journal › peer-review

TY - JOUR

T1 - Activating and strengthening connection to future selves boosts retirement preparation among middle-aged working adults over a 6-month period

AU - Yeung, Dannii Yuen-lan

AU - Chung, Edwin Ka Hung

AU - Chan, Michael C.H.

AU - Lam, Alvin Chong Hang

AU - Lin, Gloria Jiahui

PY - 2026/4/8

Y1 - 2026/4/8

N2 - This study examined the effects of an integrated intervention involving exposure to aged future self and a writing task on retirement planning among 235 young and middle-aged working adults. Participants were randomly assigned into three groups: control group (CS), experimental group (FS), and experimental group with a writing task (FSW). The experimental groups viewed an age-morphed photo of their future selves while the control group saw a photo of their current selves. Afterward, the FSW group completed a five-day diary writing task about improvement plan for their aged future selves’ well-being, while the FS and CS groups did not. Although no significant main effects of experimental conditions were shown, middle-aged FSW participants reported more financial and psychological retirement planning at the six-month follow-up compared to the CS group and young FSW participants. The implications for targeting specific age groups using unique psychological intervention approaches to encourage retirement planning were discussed. © The Author(s) 2026

AB - This study examined the effects of an integrated intervention involving exposure to aged future self and a writing task on retirement planning among 235 young and middle-aged working adults. Participants were randomly assigned into three groups: control group (CS), experimental group (FS), and experimental group with a writing task (FSW). The experimental groups viewed an age-morphed photo of their future selves while the control group saw a photo of their current selves. Afterward, the FSW group completed a five-day diary writing task about improvement plan for their aged future selves’ well-being, while the FS and CS groups did not. Although no significant main effects of experimental conditions were shown, middle-aged FSW participants reported more financial and psychological retirement planning at the six-month follow-up compared to the CS group and young FSW participants. The implications for targeting specific age groups using unique psychological intervention approaches to encourage retirement planning were discussed. © The Author(s) 2026

KW - Future self-continuity

KW - Retirement planning

KW - Working adults

KW - Age effect

U2 - 10.1177/07334648261441405

DO - 10.1177/07334648261441405

M3 - RGC 21 - Publication in refereed journal

SN - 0733-4648

JO - Journal of Applied Gerontology

JF - Journal of Applied Gerontology

ER -

Activating and strengthening connection to future selves boosts retirement preparation among middle-aged working adults over a 6-month period

Abstract

Funding

Research Keywords

RGC Funding Information

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Other Access Options

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Projects

GRF: Retirement Planning: Feeling Closer and Doing More for Our Future-selves

Cite this