It’s often said that age is just a number. A new study from researchers at Penn State College of Nursing suggests that it might also be a state of mind.

The study, headed by Nikki Hill, an associate professor at the university, involved an online survey of 581 people aged 65 to 90, equally split between men and women, married and single, and from a variety of educational backgrounds. All were English-speaking, had no self-reported diagnosis of dementia or other cognitive impairment, and were living independently at the time.