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Thesis (MTech (Industrial Design))--Cape Peninsula University of Technology, 2007 / This thesis tests the Usability, Safety and Attractiveness Participatory Design model (USAP) in the field of inclusive fitness. The focus is on improving compatibility between elderly people and fitness products. Three participatory design (PO) workshops were carried out with potential users ranging from 20 to 80 years of age. The research not only includes current elderly people but also those who will be entering this age bracket in the next ten years. Although the main focus is on the elderly, younger participants were included, and acted as a transgenerational audit. The first PO session made known possible avenues for exploration; the second session introduced a new group of people to the research and acted as a check to see if a wider audience of older users had similar needs to those uncovered so far; the third session involved middle age participants who will be entering old age in the next ten years. Concepts were generated and participants commented and critiqued them.

An experiment was conducted to compare the functional performance of young and old adults on familiar and unfamiliar tasks under two conditions of perceived control. Specifically, the relation between age and motor and process skills was examined. The familiar tasks were simple cooking tasks, whereas the unfamiliar tasks were contrived, meaningless tasks developed for this study. Young and old did not differ in the ratings of the familiarity of the tasks, but results from two Age by Task by Choice ANOVAs demonstrated a significant age difference for motor and process skills under all conditions. For the process skill scale, there was also a significant main effect for choice. This suggests that older adults demonstrate age-related decline even with activities that take motivational, experiential, and ecological validity components into account. Results also support the concept that perceived control can improve performance, but not differentially for older adults; that is, young and old adults both demonstrated improved performance when given their choice of tasks.

The purpose of this research project was to explore a model of transformative learning for the promotion of successful aging in group counselling and psychotherapy. This project explored how a model of life review, including guided autobiography (Birren & Deutchman, 1991) and enactment(s) in group psychodrama (Westwood, 1997) contributes to transformative learning (Mezirow, 1991, 1998). Successful aging emphasizes the potential for psychological growth rather than decline across the life span. In a field study, I used an ethnographic approach with an emphasis on reflexivity (Atkinson & Hammersley, 1994; Fisher, 1995). For this model, seven co-researchers, graduate students and professionals in practise, engaged in life review enactments in the context of group psychodrama. Evidence for communicative and emancipatory action two major domains of transformative learning (Mezirow, 1991), emerged from the data analysis. Six major themes, including four process themes and two content themes emerged: 1) the reflexive reconstruction of the self; 2) co-construction of the meaning of experience; 3) moral betrayal and social injustice; 4) leadership and creating a democratic public space; 5) action planning: individual and social action; and, 6) dreams as a template for actions. These central themes are described. Case examples from the stories of the co-researchers are offered as clarification. Suggestions and implications for future research and practise are discussed. / Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies / Graduate

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The present study compared the effects of two types of preretirement programs, a traditional and a lifestyles, on attitude toward retirement, attitudes toward planning for retirement, and interest levels for the content of the two programs for employees varying in age, gender, and occupational status at a large university in the Southeastern United States. The primary focus of the traditional program was on describing consequences to expect following retirement, such as income decline, health care costs, and alterations in social and leisure activities. In contrast, the primary focus of the lifestyles approach was on describing how one could plan ahead to address potentially undesirable consequences in the areas of financial stability, health care, or social/leisure lifestyle which might affect adjustment to retirement. Prior to participation in the planning seminars, which contained both traditional and lifestyles program formats, males in the younger age group perceived themselves as less prepared for retirement and exhibited a more negative attitude toward retirement than did those in the older age group. Males in the younger age group demonstrated significantly more positive attitude changes following participation in the planning seminars, while males in the older age group did not. After attending these programs, younger age group males felt more prepared for retirement, perceived retirement more positively, and felt preretirement planning was more useful than they had prior to participation. Analysis of female employees’ responses indicated that participation in the planning programs had no impact on their attitudes toward retirement and preretirement planning, regardless of their age or perceived level of preparedness. The study also found that, as predicted, older participants were more interested in the traditional presentation than they were in the lifestyles format. In contrast, younger participants were equally interested in the traditional and lifestyles formats. As females did not change in their attitude toward retirement or perception of how well prepared they were for retirement, the possibility was supported that current programs may not be adequately addressing the preretirement planning needs of female participants. Implications for future preretirement planning efforts are discussed. / Ph. D.

Two groups of older adults, retired teachers and low income housing elderly, exhibiting a diverse response to measures of life satisfaction and readiness for self-directed learning, were examined through twelve case studies in order to describe, generally and personally, the constructs of meaning for being old and the dynamics involved in defining and demonstrating successful aging and adaptation to the later years. The studies' findings included: (a) Health and functional status was a core construct that interacted significantly with satisfaction, engagement, coping, identity, and successful aging. (b) Ego integrity was found to be a process that included both developmental and transpersonal dimensions and to be dependent on ongoing coping and adaptation to late life change and loss. As such, it was concluded that successful aging rather than successful living was being described and demonstrated by the study sample. (c) Continuity of personal identity determined much of the subject's self concept and life style until a change in health and functional status forced an acknowledgement and integration of an age identity. (d) Four factors were found to define and demonstrate successful aging in the sample. / Ed. D.