In this study, we contrasted socioemotional selectivity theory (SST; Carstensen, 2006) with dynamic integration theory (DIT; Labouvie-Vief, 2003) using trajectories of quantitative and qualitative social support in later life. SST is a lifespan theory of motivational development (Carstensen, Isaacowitz, & Charles, 1999). There is a normative decline in social support networks in later life. In other words, individuals who perceive the limitation on time left for their future are likely to decrease the quantitative social support and compensate for this decrease by improving qualitative social support with emotionally meaningful social partners. The theory also postulates that age is the primary proxy for perceived limitation of individuals' lives (Carstensen, Fung, & Charles, 2003). Further, self-reported health and functional status are factors that affect older adults' perception of limitation of time left in their lives (Carstensen, 2006). In contrast, DIT is a neo-Piagetian theory that emphasizes the presence of individual differences in quantitative and qualitative social support in later life depending on individuals' levels of cognitive resources that are associated with educational levels (Labouvie-Vief & Diehl, 2000). Despite these different arguments on the trajectories of quantitative and qualitative social support in later life, SST and DIT have not been tested within a same study. The current study examined the trajectories of frequency of social contact (quantitative social support) and reliance on family members and close friends (qualitative social support) in later life. Participants were drawn from the Normative Aging Study (NAS; N = 1,067, M[subscript age] = 60.83, SD = 8.08) who completed social support surveys three times from 1985 to 1991. Using unconditional and unconditional analyses (Raudenbush & Bryk, 1986), growth models of frequency of social contact with and reliance on family members and close friends were tested. Within subject analyses found that the trajectory of frequency of social contact was a U-shaped curve with the age of 54 years at a peak, while the trajectory of reliance on family and friends were stable and linear. Random effects of age for the intercept and slope were significant in both models of frequency of contact and reliance on family and friends, although the random effect for the latter were small in both models. Between subjects analyses were conducted to examine whether cognitive resources, marital status, health status, and functional status predicted variance in the intercept and slope of both types of support. As SST hypothesized, having better self-reported physical health predicted higher levels of frequency of contact over age. Being married was associated with higher quantity of social support. However, contrary to our hypothesis based on SST, having poorer functional status predicted more frequent social contact over age. The random effect of intercept was still significant after controlling for these psychosocial predictors. The evidence to test the DIT hypotheses was examined in the model of the qualitative social support. Having memory problems predicted decreasing reliance on social partners. However, marital status and education did not significantly predict change in qualitative social relationships. Contrary to the hypothesis based on SST that posited poor self-reported health was associated with higher qualitative social support, it was better self-reported health that predicted higher qualitative social support. The random effects for the intercept and slope were still significant after controlling for these psychosocial factors. Taken together, the findings of the current study suggest that SST and DIT can be used as theoretical frameworks that are complementary rather than contradictory in their predictions of socioemotional development in later life. SST is useful to illustrate the overall trajectory of quantitative social support in a normative development in late life. DIT's stance better explains the individual differences in qualitative social support in non-normative contexts. The findings also suggest that having memory problems and poor self-reported health as non-normative developmental outcomes may be risk factors of older adults' ability to seek for social support. / Graduation date: 2012

published_or_final_version / Social Work / Master / Master of Social Sciences

The social aspects of older adults lives are strongly linked to well-being outcomes. Social relationships in older adulthood are rewarding, but also complex, and to maintain a positive social environment, older adults must reconcile long relationships histories, negotiate changing roles, and deal with increasing dependencies. Older adults are known to be particularly effective at regulating their social environments under these circumstances to maximize satisfaction, but some are more successful than others. Older adults manage their social environments through processes of relationship regulation, where individuals actively work towards social goals to customize their social environments and close relationships to meet developmental and emotional needs. Importantly, relationship regulation is embedded in older adults’ social environments, which are not only an outcome, but also the context that inspires, motivates, and hinders efforts to change the social environment. Within the proximal social environment older adults may experience support, hindrance, and satisfying contact with close social partners. Although supportive social environments are related to health and well-being in old age, and evidence suggests that older adults regulate their relationships, little is known about how these goals are worked towards and achieved on a daily basis and within the context of older adults' daily lives. The current study had two distinct aims: (a) to understand the intraindividual processes of regulating social goals within daily context of the social environment; and (b) to examine how interindividual differences predict between-person differences in social regulatory processes. Specifically, this study investigated the degree to which older adults depend on daily support and contact with a close social partner to make progress towards a meaningful social goal, and also the extent to which perceptions of social hindrance impede goal progress. On an interindividual level, this study examined how differences in the proximal social environment and goal orientation are linked to differences in social regulatory processes. Data from the Personal Understanding of Life and Social Experiences (PULSE) project, a 100-day, internet-based microlongitudinal study of 100 Oregon residents age 52 to 88 (M = 63.13, SD = 7.8), were used to explore processes of relationship regulation. At the beginning of the study, participants created a meaningful social goal, and mapped their social convoy. Participants then tracked their daily goal progress and feelings of social support, hindrance and satisfaction over a 100-day time period. Analysis was conducted using multilevel random coefficient models, and was structured to examine within person processes. Daily experiences of goal progress were positively related to social support and contact satisfaction, and negatively related with social hindrance. Importantly, these associations varied greatly between participants, in part as a function of convoy composition and goal orientations. The results from this study suggest that relationship regulation is (a) embedded in the social context of daily life; (b) differs based on the structure of the proximal social environment; (c) contingent on regulatory strategies selected by older adults to work towards their goals; and (d) differentiated by mean tendencies. The linkages between support, hindrance and contact satisfaction with daily goal progress found in this study suggest that the process of working towards a social goal is dependent on older adults' daily social contexts. This has implications for populations with varying access to social support and exposure to social hindrance. Further, individual differences in social regulatory processes were only partially explained by convoy structure and goal orientation. Future research is needed to search for the mechanisms that drive these between person differences in social regulatory processes. / Graduation date: 2012

M.A. (Psychology) / The main objective of this study was to determine the influence of career involvement on the psycho-social well-being of the aged. An attempt was made to establish whether there would be any significant differences in life satisfaction, depression and self-concept, between economically active and non-active elderly persons. The research design was of an ex post facto nature. The sample consisted of 128 subjects between the ages of 60 and 80 years and was drawn from a middle to upper socio-economic population in the Witwatersrand area. Fifty of the respondents were still employed full-time, 16 were employed part-time and 62 were retired. Persons who reported poor physical health were excluded from the study. The Life Satisfaction in the Elderly Scale of Salamon and Conte and the Affect Balance Scale of Bradburn were used as measures of life satisfaction; the Centre for Epidemiological StudiesDepression Scale was used to measure depression and Vrey's Selfconcept Scale was used to measure self-concept. One way and two way analysis of variance were used to test the hypotheses...

This descriptive correlational study was designed to examine the relationship between situational control, and both psychological and physical well-being, in the institutionalized elderly. A convenience sample of 52 elderly institutionalized subjects was selected from two intermediate care facilities. The subjects completed the Perceived Weil-Being Scale, the Situational Control Of Daily Activities Scale, and the Subject Information Sheet. All residents were found to have an overall perception of situational control. However, residents perceived a lack of control for the daily activities of eating and grooming. The majority of residents obtained a moderately high score on the psychological well-being and physical well-being scales. No significant relationship was found between situational control and psychological well-being, or situational control and physical well-being. A significant positive relationship was found between psychological well-being and physical well-being. / Applied Science, Faculty of / Nursing, School of / Graduate

No description available.

The purpose of this study was to investigate the relationship between health attribution and the availability of organized internal resources and response style as measured by the Four Square of the Rorschach Inkblot Test. Forty-two subjects participated in this study. Six major hypotheses were explored in the study. None of the hypotheses was statistically significant. Several factors may have contributed to these results. The small sample size and the homogeneity of the sample limited the investigator's ability to interpret the results of the study. Statistically, health attribution may not be conceptually related to organized internal resources and response style since physical and emotional distress may require different coping mechanisms.

Current research tends to describe loneliness among the elderly as an individual issue, focusing on psychological or biological causes and negative effects on health. This dissertation lays the groundwork for an alternative, sociological approach. Drawing on the model developed by Durkheim in his study of suicide, the argument operates on three levels. First, it critically examines the dominant analytical framework for studying loneliness, highlighting the influence of concepts and methods inherited from psychology. Next, it contextualizes loneliness historically, tracing through the archives of international organizations (especially the ILO, the WHO, and the Council of Europe) the emergence of policies that contributed to loosening intergenerational ties and isolating the elderly from the rest of society. Finally, the dissertation introduces an innovative quantitative approach based on data from a major European telealarm provider. These "organic" data, derived from real-life settings rather than conventional survey-based research, reveal the macrostructure of the phenomenon. Taken together, the findings point to the need to reconceptualize loneliness not as mere absence of interpersonal connections but as a misalignment of the individual with group norms, especially norms related to time. This has both theoretical and practical implications in terms of the nature of the phenomenon and the types of interventions needed to address it.

Mak Wing-yan. / Thesis (M.Phil.)--Chinese University of Hong Kong, 2001. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 207-215). / Abstracts in English and Chinese. / ABSTRACT --- p.i / ACKNOWLEDGEMENT --- p.iv / CONTENTS --- p.vi / Chapter CHAPTER 1 --- Introduction: Problematic Endeavour of Identity in Old Age --- p.1 / Chapter 1.1 --- Prologue / Chapter 1.2 --- Segmentation of Life Stages / Chapter 1.3 --- Blurring of Life Stages / Chapter 1.4 --- Over Institutionalization: Sequestration of Experiences / Chapter 1.5 --- Relevance to Present Study / Chapter CHAPTER 2 --- "Literature Review: Old Age Identity in Structural, Institutional And Interactional Settings" --- p.11 / Chapter 2.1 --- Structural Dimension: Policy and Social Identity / Chapter 2.1.1 --- The development of social policy in Hong Kong / Chapter 2.1.2 --- "Problematic nature of ""care in community"" and the objectification of elderly" / Chapter 2.1.3 --- Stigmatization: delineation of the social position / Chapter 2.2 --- Institutional Dimension: Segregated Settings and Identity / Chapter 2.2.1 --- Segregated settings and social space / Chapter 2.2.2 --- Volunteering ´ؤ The interplay between policy and institutional forces / Chapter 2.2.3 --- Elder participation in volunteer working in Hong Kong / Chapter 2.3 --- Interactional Dimension: Discourse Analysis and Identity Negotiation / Chapter 2.4 --- Merging of the Streams of Thought / Chapter CHAPTER 3 --- Conceptual Framework --- p.40 / Chapter 3.1 --- Conceptual Discussion of Identity / Chapter 3.1.1 --- Presumptions of identity: relational approach / Chapter 3.1.2 --- Giddens: modernity and self-identity / Chapter 3.1.3 --- Goffman: stigma and the management of spoiled identity / Chapter 3.1.4 --- Identity and inter-group relation / Chapter 3.1.5 --- Relevance to present study / Chapter 3.2 --- Conceptual Discussion of Social Space / Chapter 3.2.1 --- Relationship between social space and social setting / Chapter 3.2.2 --- Features examined within social space / Chapter 3.3 --- Identity Constitution / Chapter 3.4 --- Possibilities for Identity: From Conceptual to Empirical / Chapter 3.5 --- Research Questions / Chapter CHAPTER 4 --- Methodology and Overview of the Field --- p.60 / Chapter 4.1 --- The Research / Chapter 4.2 --- An Overview of the Field / Chapter 4.2.1 --- Structure of membership / Chapter 4.2.2 --- Typology of volunteering activities / Chapter CHAPTER 5 --- Positioning of the Age Identity --- p.71 / Chapter 5.1 --- Meaning for Joining the Volunteer Group / Chapter 5.1.1 --- Reasons of entry from the professional point of view / Chapter 5.1.2 --- Meaning of entry from the volunteers' point of view / Chapter i. --- A cleavage from disturbing life event / Chapter ii. --- Concealment of stigma / Chapter iii. --- Conformity to the life stage arrangement / Chapter 5.1.3 --- Pain or pleasure / Chapter 5.2 --- Location of Reference Groups - Learning of Elderly Role / Chapter 5.2.1 --- Positive valuation on the present / Chapter i. --- Comparison with the past / Chapter ii. --- Projection over the future / Chapter 5.2.2 --- Accommodation of identity / Chapter 5.3 --- Concluding Remark: Motivations and Capacity for Identity Process / Chapter CHAPTER 6 --- Perception of the Context and the Projection of Actors' Agency --- p.92 / Chapter 6.1 --- User Participation: Social space as perceived by social workers / Chapter 6.2 --- Boundary Control: Defining Professional Realm of Reference / Chapter 6.3 --- Perception of Constrains and Possibilities / Chapter 6.4 --- Boundary Management: volunteers' realm of choice and control / Chapter 6.4.1 --- Personal choice / Chapter 6.4.2 --- "Defensive boundary control: managing their identity by securing their ""time""" / Chapter 6.5 --- Case Study: Nature of Relationships and Boundary Control / Chapter 6.5.1 --- Case 1: Heart-to-heart Programme (the Telephone Visit Team) / Chapter 6.5.2 --- Case 2: Visiting Pioneers (The visiting team) / Chapter 6.6 --- Concluding Remark: Horizon in Perceiving the Aging Process / Chapter CHAPTER 7: --- Consolidation of Identity: Dimensions of Identification --- p.117 / Chapter 7.1 --- Contours of Aging Experience: A Hypothetical Illustration / Chapter 7.2 --- The Vertical Identification: Keep Active / Chapter 7.2.1 --- Locating the volunteers: / Chapter 7.2.2 --- "The meanings of ""active""" / Chapter 7.2.3 --- "Reaffirmation from the structure and the reproduction of ""being active""" / Chapter 7.2.4 --- Dynamics for identification / Chapter 7.3 --- Volunteering and the Site for Social Exclusion / Chapter 7.3.1 --- "Exclusion: delineation of ""they"" and ""we""" / Chapter 7.4 --- Inclusionary Effort by the Volunteers: Sympathetic Attitude Towards the Elderly / Chapter 7.4.1 --- "The concept of ""care"" and ""concern""" / Chapter 7.4.2 --- "Cultivation of the sense of ""sameness"": proximity of experiences" / Chapter 7.5 --- Identity as a Politics: a Convergent Point Case study: The Community Forum / Chapter 7.6 --- Concluding Remarks / Chapter CHAPTER 8 --- "Conclusion and Discussion: ""Staying Active"" as a Theme in Aging Process" --- p.147 / Chapter 8.1 --- Summary of Arguments / Chapter 8.1.1 --- Schema for comparison: positioning and aging self in society / Chapter 8.1.2 --- "Negotiation, boundary control and shaping of identity" / Chapter 8.1.3 --- Consolidation of identity: Two paths for the same end / Chapter 8.2 --- Epilogue: Identity as a Cutting Point for Researching Old Age in Modern Society / Chapter 8.2.1 --- Nature of social space and the presentation of identity / Chapter 8.2.2 --- Rethinking the place of human action in theory of aging / Chapter 8.2.3 --- Identity as a politics / Chapter 8.2.4 --- Policy Reflections / Chapter 8.3 --- Outlook and Vision / APPENDICES / Figure 4.1 Organization Chart of the Service Center (In Chinese) --- p.172 / Figure 8.1 Model of Identity Constitution --- p.173 / Table 1.1 Major Events of Elderly Issues --- p.174 / Table 4.1 Elderly Population --- p.181 / Table 4.2 Summary of Activities --- p.182 / Table 4.3 Profiles of Informants --- p.184 / Table 4.4 Summary of Respondents --- p.186 / Table 5.1 Summary of Core Questions --- p.188 / Table 8.1 Control of Boundary --- p.196 / Document 4.1 Guiding Questions for Interviews --- p.197 / Document 5.1 Promotion Leaflet of the Service Center (In Chinese) --- p.199 / Document 6.1 Report of Implementation of User-Participation (In Chinese) --- p.203 / Document 6.2 Promotion Leaflet of the Community Support Service of Elderly (In Chinese) --- p.206 / BIBIOGRAPHY --- p.207

Disasters occur within the routines of everyday life and have a disruptive and destructive impact on human lives. To understand how older individuals make sense of a disaster, nine older adults in Kaitaia, New Zealand were interviewed about their experience of a flood they experienced in July 2007. These interviews were conducted with four residents living in a rest home and five pensioners living independently who were evacuated from their homes. The two groups differed in the levels of support and assistance received before, during, and after the disaster. The rest home residents experienced little disruption and did not require relocation; the pensioners experienced major disruption and relocation. Thematic analysis was used to describe how these older adults’ accounted for their experiences of the flood. The narratives were influenced by the participants’ identity as either dependent rest home residents or pensioners living independently in the community. The analysis revealed that their accounts of the disaster were incorporated and integrated into the personal and social context of each person’s life story. Narrative themes that emerged from the analysis for the pensioner group were: coping with limited assistance, the importance of treasured possessions, and social support and community. The pensioner themes reflected their vulnerability to a disaster and the challenges they faced during the post disaster recovery phase. Themes for the rest home residents were ageing and dependency, and the importance of protection, care, and trust. These themes reflected the dependent world of the rest home residents and the security of being cared for.