<p> The purpose of the present stud is to focus on applying two theoretical models, the justification-suppression model and the role congruity theory, to age discrimination in selection occupational decision-making. Participants from varying age demographics evaluated either stereotype-confirming or stereotype-disconfirming Facebook interests of candidates who are applying for a fictitious job opening. The results supported the role congruity theory in that candidates were rated lower on likability ratings when their Facebook interests were congruent with the stereotypical interests of the candidates&rsquo; respective age groups. However, there were no significant differences supporting the justification-suppression model in that perceptions of candidates did not differ in hirability ratings, regardless of their observable Facebook interests. However, the hirability ratings overall decreased after participants viewed Facebook profiles, regardless of the congruence of interests to their stereotypical interests. These results suggest that the presence of Facebook profiles as well as displaying atypical interests regarding respective age groups can result in negative perceptions of likeability or hirability ratings.</p>

<p> Semantic network breakdown has been posited to be related to the progressive declines observed in Alzheimer&rsquo;s disease (AD) and its prodromes. While the relationship between semantic memory and AD has been established, the relationship between semantic memory and instrumental activities of daily living (IADL) is less clear. The current study was designed to elucidate this relationship by examining a semantic clustering index on the California Verbal Learning Test, Second Edition (CVLT-II) and the measure&rsquo;s ability to predict functional compromise of healthy older participants and those with Alzheimer&rsquo;s disease or Mild Cognitive Impairment (MCI) on two measures of IADLs&mdash;the Everyday Cognition Scale (ECog) and the Functional Activities Questionnaire (FAQ). The results revealed that semantic clustering performance differentiated between AD, amnestic MCI, and normal control participants. The FAQ distinguished between AD and non-AD participants, while the ECog differentiated between AD, amnestic MCI, and normal controls. When considering all diagnostic groups, semantic clustering was predictive of instrumental ADL functioning as measured by the ECog and FAQ, but the addition of an executive functioning covariate (Trails B) significantly improved the predictive models. In excluding the AD group from the analysis, semantic clustering was predictive of instrumental ADL functioning as measured by the FAQ beyond that of Trails B. In excluding the AD group, semantic clustering was not predictive of instrumental ADL functioning as measured by the ECog.</p><p>

<p> How a professional football player will adjust to retirement can be difficult to predict. Personality traits could play a role in retirement satisfaction and narcissistic personality traits, which can assist an individual during his playing career, may in fact hinder his ability to adjust to life after football. Using the Narcissistic Personality Inventory and the Retirement Satisfaction Inventory, this study aimed to identify features of narcissism that may correlate with satisfaction and dissatisfaction in retirement among former NFL players. </p><p> Results from this study found significant positive correlations between both authoritativeness and satisfaction with life in retirement, and self-sufficiency and satisfaction with life in retirement. Results also indicated a significant negative relationship between narcissism and total playing years accrued in the NFL, suggesting that those who sustained longer playing careers before retirement had lower levels of narcissism. Lastly, results from this study showed higher satisfaction with retirement the longer an individual had been away from the league, suggesting the retirement process, which has been chronicled as challenging during the first few years, may likely become more manageable as time goes on.</p>

<p>Providing care for a frail older adult who is suffering from dementia has been described as a stressful experience that may erode psychological well-being and physical health of caregivers. The present study investigated the effectiveness of Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR), among older family caregivers of persons with neurocognitive disorders, compared with an intervention based on progressive muscle relaxation (PMR). Participants were randomly assigned to either MBSR or PMR (<i>n</i> = 28). The MBSR group showed significantly greater reductions in self-reported levels of depression and isolation from pre- to post-intervention, and those changes remained significant at 8 weeks post-intervention. Both groups showed similar decreases in levels of perceived stress, cortisol awakening response, daily average cortisol, and in resting systolic blood pressure from pre- to post-intervention. Results suggest that MBSR and relaxation-based interventions may both be effective for caregivers, however, further research, employing waitlist control participants will be necessary for unambiguous interpretation of the present results.

<p> Virtually no research to date has investigated individual differences that might make women more or less susceptible to menopausal symptoms. This study hypothesized that high levels of the neuroticism personality trait render women more susceptible to severe menopausal symptoms. Neuroticism was assessed using the Eysenck Personality Questionnaire Brief Version (EPQ-BV), and menopausal symptoms were measured with the Menopausal Rating Scale (MRS). A total of 169 English speaking women <i>(M</i> = 50.74 years) were recruited through social media and flyers to complete an online survey. After controlling stressors, exercise, and income, a strong correlation between high neuroticism and more severe symptoms was found. This indicates that negative menopausal experiences can be predicted with individual difference measures. The utility of being able to predict difficult menopause experiences with individual difference measures in a clinical setting, as well as suggestions for future research of this type, are discussed.</p>

<p> The purpose of this study was to determine the images of aging of a small sample of Early Baby Boomers born between 1946 and 1951. The Baby Boomers are a generation consisting of those born between 1946 and 1964. This study focuses on a narrower range of birth years in order to capture the images of aging of those now 60 and over who came of age in the 1960s and early 1970s. They represent the first wave of the Baby Boom Generation to reach age 65, society's marker of "old age." Baby Boomers are the largest generation in history and currently 10,000 of them are turning 65 every day. The questions posed in this study were to explore how these Early Baby Boomers expect to age, how their generational experience influences their image of aging, and how that image differs from that of previous generations. </p><p> Using a phenomenological and hermeneutical research method, eight men and eight women with like ethnic, demographic, and socioeconomic characteristics were interviewed. Through recordings and verbatim transcriptions the collective meaning of life, aging influences, fears, and expected life spans were determined. The collective results were compared to literature of aging stereotypes of previous generations. This select group reported that they will not age and are surprised when experiencing small signs of aging. Work is what brings meaning to their lives and they have no plans of retiring. They expect to maintain control over the length and quality of their lives. These Early Baby Boomers expect to establish a new image of aging. </p><p> As the numbers of Baby Boomers age and lifespan lengthens, unavoidable losses will occur. Researchers predict an increase in depression, addiction, and dementia. The Early Baby Boomer expects their needs to be met and as those losses occur they will increasingly seek mental health professionals to "fix" their emotional responses. It is important for mental health professionals to understand the unique generational lens from which Boomers view aging in order to provide quality assessment, recommendations, referral, and treatment. </p><p> Key words: boomer; aging; generation; image; mental health; retirement; lifespan.</p>

<p> As people's life-expectancy prolongs with advanced medical treatments, numbers of individuals who experience widowhood in later life are expected to increase. As a result, grief work will be one of the common challenges that social workers and older adults will face. The purpose of this project was to develop a grant proposal for the Pathways Volunteer Hospice in Lakewood, California, and to identify funding sources for designing a mindfulness focused bereavement support group program for older widows who are age 60 years and over. With funding resources provided by the Weingart Foundation, the proposed program aims to educate participants on the principles of mindfulness and how they can integrate mindfulness principles and philosophy into their grieving process to better facilitate their coping with their loss. The proposed program will be based on empirically supported methods, such as, Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction and Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy. The actual submission, and/or funding, of this grant was not required for successful completion of this thesis.</p>

<p> Several demographers and scholars have dubbed the baby boomers&rsquo; transition to retirement as the <i>graying society</i>. Therefore, and recognizing its importance, the main objectives of this study were to learn about the transition to retirement process and its related meanings for baby boomers in the public sector. Using a mixed methodology, 382 retirees shared their perceptions on the subjects via questionnaire and 6 via interviews. This study concluded with a validation of previous authors on the importance of being prepared prior to retirement especially in the case of those with disability retirement.</p>

<p> Participants (N= 227) completed questionnaires pertaining to depressive symptomatology and trait intrusive thinking, and subsequently engaged in tasks assessing executive functioning, working memory, prospective memory, and episodic memory. The dependent variables assessed the influence of intrusive thinking on the relationship between depressive symptomatology and the four previously mentioned cognitive domains. A three-way interaction was conducted using the PROCESS macro created by Hayes (2013). The results revealed a significant three-way interaction for the working and episodic memory measure. Younger participants with low levels of intrusive thinking performed better on the working and episodic memory task as depressive symptomatology increased, while older adults with low levels of intrusive thinking performed worse on these tasks as depressive symptomatology increased. It is important to note that performance on these measures did not significantly vary by depressive symptomatology at high levels of intrusive thinking. These findings suggest that intrusive thinking may be a beneficial factor to explore in future research regarding the impact of depressive symptomatology on cognitive functioning across age groups.</p>

Thesis (M.A.) - Carleton University, 2007. / Includes bibliographical references (p. 55-61). Also available in electronic format on the Internet.