PURPOSE OF THE STUDY: Despite calls for the consideration of future time perspective (FTP) as a multidimensional construct, mostly unidimensional measurement instruments have been used. This study had two objectives: (a) to develop a brief multidimensional questionnaire for assessing FTP in adulthood and evaluate its psychometric properties; and (b) to examine age associations and age-group differences of the dimensions of FTP. DESIGN AND METHODS: Data were collected from 625 community-residing adults between the ages of 18 and 93, representing young, middle-aged, and older adults. The psychometric evaluation involved exploratory factor analyses (EFA) and confirmatory FA (CFA), reliability and validity analyses, and measurement invariance testing. Zero-order and partial correlations were used to examine the association of the dimensions of FTP with age, and multivariate analysis of variance was used to examine age-group differences. RESULTS: EFA and CFA supported a three-factor solution: Future as Open, Future as Limited, and Future as Ambiguous. Metric measurement invariance for this factor structure was confirmed across the three age groups. Reliability and validity analyses provided evidence of sound psychometric properties of the brief questionnaire. Age was negatively associated with Future as Open and positively associated with Future as Limited. Young adults exhibited significantly greater ambiguity toward the future than middle-aged or older adults. IMPLICATIONS: This study provides evidence in support of the psychometric properties of a new brief multidimensional FTP scale. It also provides evidence for a pattern of age associations and age-group differences consistent with life-span developmental theory.

The Canadian sport system is challenged by the lack of representation of female leaders and coaches. This is, in spite of statistics showing that female athletes account for almost half of all participants in sport, a number that is still growing (Sport Canada, 1999). Women have acquired equity in many areas of life and are accepted in leadership roles, however in the area of sport, women have yet to gain the full credibility and professional respect equal to their male counterparts. Previous research indicates that women who pursue a career in coaching face many adversities and struggle to attain a level of leadership where they can achieve their highest potential (Acosta & Carpenter, 2002). The purpose of this research is to gain an understanding of the lived experiences of elite female coaches, using Erikson’s (1950) theory of psychosocial development. In this study, the qualitative method of life history was used to learn about the experiences of female coaches, specifically the process of becoming and being elite coaches. Five elite Canadian coaches were interviewed. The major themes that developed through the analysis of the interviews were: (a) Support, (b) Overcoming Obstacles, (c) Personal Qualities and (d) The Bigger Picture. The study noted the importance of various support systems through one’s lifespan and some of the challenges a female athlete and coach must overcome to become a successful athlete, coach and mother. The study shares insight into the five women’s personal qualities that helped them grow into elite coaches. Finally, the participants described the process by which they came to find a leadership style with which they were comfortable, as coaches and as women.

The overall aim of the study was to gain some understanding of the lived experience of the care-giving spouses regarding their experiences of the manifestations of the disease, perception of their own health, the possibility of influencing the interpretation of the past, the present and future, outlook on life, surrounding contacts and intimate relationships with their sick partners. The spouses (n=13) of Alzheimer victims were followed with the help of personal interviews, diaries and telephone interviews during a two-years period. The texts was analysed according to a phenomenological-hermeneutic method. The main findings in the study showed that the spouses own health remained quite stable over time. Their perception of the development of their own health seemed to be influenced by how they saw their power to influence their situation, which seemed to be determined by how they interpreted the cause of their health problems.The social network was another important factor for understanding the spouses' experiences. The findings imply that spouses' images of themselves in relation to others were important for their perception of the overall social network. The spouses mostly regarded their relationships positively and their social networks were described as quite stable over time. The spouse's marital relationships, in most cases, seemed to undergo changes with the progress of the disease. Some spouses could maintain feelings of love but mostly the relationships were transformed into ones of tenderness, pity and estrangement. The spouses' valuation of their demented partner was mostly in the form of one of two divergent perspectives. On the one hand, spouses who seemed to perceive their partner as a person separate from the disease, could function as complementary ego aids. On the other hand some spouses were unable to make a distinction between the spouse as a person and the disease.The spouses' experiences regarding their previous relationship with parents, value system, philosophy of life, competence and autonomy seemed to be critical in their experiences of their caring situation. It appears that there is a sub-group of vulnerable carers, as suggested by the concurrence of psychological, physical, and social morbidity, along with deterioration in their marital relationship.The findings are discussed in relation to searching for meaning, the importance of significant others, perceiving and valuing the other, and caring relationships within a life-span perspective. / digitalisering@umu

Women who have transitioned to a lesbian identity from a previously heterosexual one lack a voice in the academic literature. Identity formation in this subset of women, those who chose a heterosexual marriage, had children, and later in life self identify as lesbian, has not been fully investigated. For this project, eight women were asked to answer this question: How have you negotiated the path from heterosexuality to lesbianism? Four main themes were found dealing with heteronormativity and accountability, relationship with children, transition, and acceptance by the lesbian community. Additionally, I introduce a new term---gender-normativity---to describe these women who only after marrying, having children and raising those children, and going through a process of self-reflection, realized they wanted to make a transition and spend the rest of their lives in an intimate relationship with a woman.

The Canadian sport system is challenged by the lack of representation of female leaders and coaches. This is, in spite of statistics showing that female athletes account for almost half of all participants in sport, a number that is still growing (Sport Canada, 1999). Women have acquired equity in many areas of life and are accepted in leadership roles, however in the area of sport, women have yet to gain the full credibility and professional respect equal to their male counterparts. Previous research indicates that women who pursue a career in coaching face many adversities and struggle to attain a level of leadership where they can achieve their highest potential (Acosta & Carpenter, 2002). The purpose of this research is to gain an understanding of the lived experiences of elite female coaches, using Erikson’s (1950) theory of psychosocial development. In this study, the qualitative method of life history was used to learn about the experiences of female coaches, specifically the process of becoming and being elite coaches. Five elite Canadian coaches were interviewed. The major themes that developed through the analysis of the interviews were: (a) Support, (b) Overcoming Obstacles, (c) Personal Qualities and (d) The Bigger Picture. The study noted the importance of various support systems through one’s lifespan and some of the challenges a female athlete and coach must overcome to become a successful athlete, coach and mother. The study shares insight into the five women’s personal qualities that helped them grow into elite coaches. Finally, the participants described the process by which they came to find a leadership style with which they were comfortable, as coaches and as women.

No description available.

: Midlife Crisis is a very popular concept describing middle adulthood. Faced with imminent death, people stop on the way to achieve their goals, to review their achievements and to assess what you already have and what you still want to achieve to fulfill their dreams. The theoretical part deals mainly with the definition of middle adulthood, midlife crisis, life satisfaction and personal well-being and also presents an overview of basic theories and research on these topics. Empirical part is focused on finding how this concept is understood and whether their own lives and the lives of their loved ones this stage recognize as life stage specific symptoms within the definition of midlife crisis and how this developmental stage experience. The work also deals with the psychological differences in experiencing developmental stages middle-aged men and women and ways of coping. Key words: middle age, crisis, adulthood, life span development, individuation, life review

The impact of transportation concerning older adults is under scrutiny as the number of older adults is expected to significantly increase in the coming years. The World Health Organization (WHO) spearheaded a world wide initiative that sought to examine what contributed to an “age-friendly community” in both developed and underdeveloped nations. This paper examines, in particular, the role that transportation plays in relation and contribution to an “age-friendly” community in Saanich, British Columbia, as an addition to the WHO initiative. Focus groups were conducted to ensure that information received was the lived experience of the individual. Results suggested that transportation was more than the ability to operate a vehicle, but in the ability to move safely within an environment. Additional information provided by participants spoke to the necessity of increasing awareness of licensing systems and improvements that could be implemented to ensure safety for older adult drivers and the community.

The impact of transportation concerning older adults is under scrutiny as the number of older adults is expected to significantly increase in the coming years. The World Health Organization (WHO) spearheaded a world wide initiative that sought to examine what contributed to an “age-friendly community” in both developed and underdeveloped nations. This paper examines, in particular, the role that transportation plays in relation and contribution to an “age-friendly” community in Saanich, British Columbia, as an addition to the WHO initiative. Focus groups were conducted to ensure that information received was the lived experience of the individual. Results suggested that transportation was more than the ability to operate a vehicle, but in the ability to move safely within an environment. Additional information provided by participants spoke to the necessity of increasing awareness of licensing systems and improvements that could be implemented to ensure safety for older adult drivers and the community.

Emotional Intelligence (EI) has been relatively unstudied after young adulthood. Yet there are a variety of reasons to expect that EI may be different at mid life than in young adulthood. Normative life experiences may lead to increases in EI, and as the array of different environments and experiences increases with age, one might expect greater individual differences in EI. Similarly, if EI is located somewhere at the intersection of personality and intelligence, as some have speculated, it may follow a course of structural differentiation similar to cognitive abilities. EI may be more closely linked to social variables such as loneliness and friendships at mid life, and its relation to established personality and ability factors such as the Big Five (Neuroticism, Extraversion, Openness, Agreeableness, and Conscientiousness) and fluid and crystallized abilities may also vary with age. These hypotheses were investigated in samples of 292 young adults and 246 mid life adults, using the Schutte Self Report Emotional Intelligence Inventory, the NEO-Five Factor Personality Inventory, markers of crystallized and fluid ability from Horn's Crystallized/Fluid Sampler, and a variety of other measures. Mid life adults scored higher on overall EI scores, but evidenced no greater range of individual differences than did young adults. A series of exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses revealed no greater differentiation in the mid life sample either among dimensions of EI or between EI and personality and intelligence variables. Finally, EI appeared equally predictive of social variables in each sample. Results are discussed from the perspective of lifespan and aging literature on emotion, personality, and social functioning. Qualifications for the inference of age-related change in cross sectional designs are considered, along with advantages and disadvantages of factor-analytic and covariance structure modeling methodology. Implications, particularly for psychotherapy with each age group, are discussed.