Psychological Predictors of Perceived Life Expectancy: Decision-Making Styles, Well-Being, Life Purpose, and Stress

Abstract

Perceived life expectancy ( PLE) reflects a person’s personal estimate of their remaining lifespan and is shaped by psychological and cognitive influences. This study sought to explore how decision-making styles, purpose in life, psychological well-being, and perceived stress influence young adults’ perceptions of their life expectancy. It was proposed that individuals characterized by adaptive decision-making styles, higher purpose in life, greater psychological well-being, and lower levels of perceived stress would report higher perceived life expectancy. Data were gathered from 99 participants through standardized self-report questionnaires, such as the General Decision-Making Styles Scale, Purpose in Life Scale, Ryff’s Psychological Well-Being Scale, and the Perceived Stress Scale. Life expectancy was assessed based on individuals’ own estimates. The study used a correlational research design, and its statistical analyses encompassed descriptive statistics, Pearson correlation, hierarchical regression, and an independent samples t-test. The results indicated that most psychological factors were not significantly linked to perceived life expectancy. There was no significant link found between decision-making styles, sense of life purpose, and perceived stress with perceived life expectancy. Nevertheless, a strong correlation was found between decision-making styles, psychological well-being and perceived stress. Regression analysis showed that certain aspects of psychological well-being had a small but significant impact on perceived life expectancy, with personal growth acting as a positive predictor and autonomy as a negative one. Differences by gender were also noted: women reported greater psychological well-being and more adaptive decision-making approaches, whereas men reported higher levels of perceived stress and perceived life expectancy. Overall, the findings indicate that perceived life expectancy might not be directly shaped by general psychological traits, but rather affected by wider cognitive, situational, and health-related factors. The study emphasizes how perceived life expectancy is complex and calls for more research that includes further determining variables