The self-concept of elderly people as a group is generally considered low. Self-concept is negatively influenced by an external source, i.e., cultural regard, and by the internal or personal adaptive changes of the aging process. To age successfully, positive or high concept of self is considered necessary. The literature indicates that self-concept can be changed. This study tested whether involvement in one of three educational processes (class groups) was effective in raising the self-esteem of the elderly participants. The class groups were (1) Current-Events or Job-Preparation, (2) Psychology, and (3) Memory and Relaxation Techniques. A fourth group, not in an educational process, served as a control group. Twenty participants, aged 60 and up, were in each of the four groups. All subjects took a pre-test consisting of a mental-status quiz, a demographics questionnaire and the Tennessee Self Concept Scale (TSCS). All class groups met once weekly for two hours for an eight-week semester. At the end of the semester, all subjects took the TSCS as the post-test. Control group participants were given the same tests at the same time intervals. The Campbell and Stanley Nonequivalent Control Group Design (10) was applied. Null hypothesis 1 stated that there would be no differences in changes of self-esteem scores in any of the groups. Null hypothesis 2 stated that there would be no differences in self-esteem scores among the unlike groups. Analysis of variance of pre-test scores determined that the TSCS scores among the groups were significantly different, and analysis of covariance was then performed on post-test scores. Both null hypotheses were rejected. Further statistical analysis indicated that in only one group (Psychology) had significant change occurred. This educational process was more effective in changing self-esteem scores than were the other processes. Further examination of possible programs which enhance the self-esteem of older persons is recommended.

We are constantly making decisions in everyday life that involve interactions with our environment: from simple behaviors like deciding to reach for your cup of coffee to complex behaviors like deciding which route to take to work. It is well known that these decisions require constant monitoring, such that decision-making is not a discrete event and requires initiation, monitoring, and evaluation for success. This process can be seen during error-corrections, in which an initial plan was implemented, an error was recognized, and a new plan was implemented to correct the initial response. While we have learned a great deal about response monitoring processes over three decades of research in cognitive neuroscience, most of the literature has used button-presses, which does not permit evaluation of the processes involved in the monitoring, cancellation, or correction of erroneous behaviors. Understanding the neural correlates of the response monitoring process may contribute to an improved understanding of cognitive aging as the natural aging process has revealed to impact this decision-making process, as older adults commit more errors than younger adults on cognitive tasks, as well as experience slower correct responses compared to younger adults. However, the current literature regarding what neurological processes are impaired as a result of the natural aging process remains to be unknown. Purpose: The primary aims of this study were (1) to delineate the neural correlates of response-monitoring process during correct, incorrect, and corrected trials as indicated by kinematic markers of the decision-making processes, and (2) to determine the integrity of these neural responses in older adults. Results reveal that the ERN, Pe, and medial-frontal theta oscillations are highly correlated with response cancellation in only younger adults, and these correlations significantly differ between older and younger adults such that older adults had significantly reduced correlations. Source localization also further confirm that the ERN and Pe are related to caudal anterior cingulate cortex activation (ACC) in both older and younger adults.

Socioemotional theories posit that the experience of overcoming unique life challenges over a lifetime enhances self-efficacy and emotional resilience among older adults. Older adults demonstrate greater emotional well-being and motivation to regulate emotions than younger adults, but specific regulatory mechanisms supporting late-life emotional resilience remain unclear. Cognitive reappraisal is an effective but cognitively demanding emotion regulation strategy and shows mixed efficacy in later-life. While a growing repertoire of autobiographical memories may be a resource with age, the role of autobiographical recall in momentary reappraisal has never been tested empirically. In this online study, older and younger adults were trained to reappraise the meaning of negative images as more positive by associating them either to any relevant autobiographical memory from the past (n=153), a specific cued autobiographical memory (reappraisal, n=118), or without autobiographical reference (n=156). Results revealed all strategies to be effective in regulating negative image intensity across age. While older adults outperformed younger adults in the non-AM condition, the opposite was observed for uncued AM reappraisals, and no age differences were found for cued AM reappraisals. Non-AM reappraisal was easiest to employ for all participants, and older adults reported all reappraisal strategies as easier than younger adults. While older adults found their AMs more helpful and more similar to reappraised images than younger adults, AM- image similarity was surprisingly associated with lower reappraisal efficacy. Findings suggests that AM reappraisal benefits are mixed for older adults, likely due to efficacy but higher associated cognitive burden of AM recall. We posit that older adults may sacrifice immediate hedonic relief, to engage with challenging but helpful emotion regulation strategies. We discuss limitations of this study, and areas for future directions to substantiate interpretations further.

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Research on expressive art interventions for bereavement has burgeoned in recent years. Studies have supported their effectiveness in facilitating participants’ adjustment to loss (e.g., Rosner, Kruse, & Hagl, 2010; Uttley, 2015) and have revealed the frequency with which they are clinically implemented (Thompson & Neimeyer, 2014). Clinicians and recipients of expressive art interventions advocate for their helpfulness in grief processing (e.g., Gamino, 2015). Publications have highlighted particular visual art modules that facilitate adaptive adjustment to loss by providing avenues for self-expression, meaning making and continuing bonds with the deceased (Neimeyer, 2016), but few studies have quantitatively investigated whether they improve bereavement outcomes. Efficacy of treatment modalities are especially warranted for bereaved subgroups at elevated risk for developing symptoms of complicated grief, such as socioeconomically vulnerable older adults, as they are among those most likely to benefit from intervention but face the most barriers to accessible treatment (Ghesquiere, 2013; Newson et al., 2011). This longitudinal study investigated the feasibility and efficacy of a 4-week grief support group with visual art modalities for bereaved older adults residing in government subsidized independent living facilitates in the community. Measured outcomes included meaning made from the loss, continued bonds with the deceased, perceived social support, personal growth, and negative bereavement experiences such as symptoms of complicated grief and depression. Findings from this study support the feasibility and acceptability of implementing an art-based grief support group for socioeconomically vulnerable older adults. Significant improvement was found in meaning made from the loss, personal growth, and negative grief symptoms. Depressive symptoms significantly decreased immediately following completion of the group, but these levels returned closer to baseline levels at one-month follow up. Participants who screened positively for complicated grief at baseline reported greater improvement in their negative grief symptoms and depression, consistent with the extant literature that the bereft in highest distress receive the most benefit from grief intervention. As complicated grief is more prevalent in the older adult population than other age groups, further investigation on the efficacy and effectiveness of targeted bereavement support is warranted.

Older adults of Mexican origin are often underserved, especially those residing in nursing homes. Their number has increased in the past 4 years. There is a gap in the research literature on Hispanic elders, specifically those of Mexican origin, residing in nursing homes along the Texas-Mexico border. Because Texas has one of the fastest growing populations of Mexican elders, it is important to better understand this population. This nonexperimental study evaluated the relationship among risk factors' such as gender, marital status, family support, activities of daily living (ADLs) and participation in nursing home activities. These relationships were evaluated with a demographic questionnaire, the Geriatric Depression Scale, and the Beck Anxiety Inventory. The sample consisted of 150 individuals of Mexican origin, 55 years of age or older, residing in nursing homes in a Texas-Mexico border city. Two multiple regression analyses were used to examine the relationships between these variables. The results indicated that the risk factors account for 9.1% of the variance in depression and 11.7% of the variance in anxiety. Of the predictor variables, activities of daily living made the only significant contribution. Thus, a high score on activities of daily living (i.e., needs complete assistance) predicted higher depression and anxiety, while female gender predicted higher anxiety, and frequent family support predicted low anxiety. This new knowledge gain through this study has implications for positive social change: (a) nursing home staff and physicians can do a better job in referring residents for psychological services, (b) mental health professionals can help nursing home staff better serve this population, and (c) nursing home staff may hold more family events to increase family involvement with their loved ones.

The American older adult population is rapidly growing and projected to double by 2030. There is high proportion of completed suicides in later life subsequent to several biopsychosocial variables. Medical populations, particularly Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) and Heart Failure (HF), have greater risk of depression, suicidality, and lower quality of life. Current geropsychology suicide research tends to focus on risk factors, a deficit approach. In contrast, the present study utilized a strength-based approach to study late life suicide by predicting life sustaining cognitions, reasons for living (RFL). This study explored the influence of physical health related quality of life (HRQOL) and depression on RFL in a sample of 75 depressed and chronically ill middle aged and older adults enrolled in a randomized clinical trial. The results indicate insignificant relationships between demographic variables (e.g. age, gender, and illness type) and reasons for living. Despite the statistically significant negative correlations between depression and physical and mental HRQOL at baseline and week five, only week five depression significantly predicted RFL (Β = -1.369, ΔR2 = .063, p= .034), after the effects of age and baseline depression were held constant. In conclusion, the present study supports integrative primary care modalities of treatment for late life depression and highlights the importance of incorporating protective factors in suicide risk assessments. Future research should consider utilizing population specific instruments and alternative medical and social variables.

This study qualitatively investigated older adults’ experience of Second Life from a descriptive phenomenological perspective. Second Life is a virtual world found on the Internet and is considered to be a cyber reality that simulates aspects of everyday real life. The participant group comprised of five individuals, between the ages of 60 and 79 years of age, who have been participating in Second Life for longer than six months. All of the participants reside in the United States and all of the participants have a tertiary education. The research revealed three essential themes to older individuals’ experience of Second Life that deals with: (1) Familiarisation with Second Life; (2) Connecting in Second Life; and (3) Second Life as a Place of Recreation. The research indicated that older adults seem to find value in their Second Life participation and tend to be actively involved and contributing members in this virtual world. These findings have implications for developmental theories in psychology that address later stages in life, and the researcher especially considers Erik Erikson’s psychosocial theory of development. Additional implications for adults in the later stages of life and the discipline of psychology are also considered. Copyright / Dissertation (MA)--University of Pretoria, 2012. / Psychology / unrestricted

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The purpose of this study is to explore the relationship between physical activity and working memory decline among older adults with APOE4 status. The APOE4 allele is currently the strongest predictor of risk for Alzheimer's disease and other related dementias. The publicly available data from the Health and Retirement Study was used to complete this Retrospective Longitudinal study. Three hypotheses were explored. H₁: It is expected that the presence of the APOE4 allele will be associated with worse overall working memory performance and a steeper rate of decline in working memory over time. H₂: Meanwhile, it is expected that participants that partake in a higher physical activity level will have better overall working memory performance and less decline in working memory than participants that only perform low or no activity. H₃: A moderation effect of physical activity on the relationship between working memory and APOE4 status is expected. A two-way repeated measure ANOVA was performed. Results indicted main effects for physical activity and years of education on the digit span task. Additionally, it was found that vigorous activity mitigates ill-effects of APOE4 on working memory. A statistical significance was found for the interaction between APOE4 status and physical activity. Findings suggest that physical activity may be prioritized as a primary intervention method for older and middle-aged APOE4 carriers.