Research has indicated a relationship between reminiscence and self-actualization among older persons. Reminiscence, or reflection upon the past, provides an opportunity for survey, assessment, and re-integration of significant aspects of one's life. Thus, reminiscing facilitates movement toward self-actualization. Reflection upon the past has been associated with adaptation to loss and stress in old age. Entry into special settings for the elderly often involves adaptation to socially-imposed stress. During periods of environmental adjustment, reminiscing has been used by many older persons as an adaptive technique to promote self-actualization. The impact of one special setting, long-term care, upon reminiscence has been substantiated by research. A higher frequency of reminiscing has been evidenced in institutionalized residents as compared to elders within the community setting. Retrospection has also been associated with the anticipatory stage of the institutionalization process. Further research was needed, however, to determine the impact of other residential settings upon the relationship between reminiscence and self-actualization. The current study examined the influence of three different residential settings upon reminiscence and self-actualization among male and female elderly. Three constructs were used as dependent variables: reminiscence frequency, reminiscence affect, and self-actualization (major scales of time competent and inner-directed). The Reminiscence Questionnaire and the Personal Orientation Inventory, were used to measure these constructs. A simple randomized-subjects design was utilized. Ten males and ten females were randomly selected from each of three residential settings: a senior day center, a long-term care facility, and a senior retirement community. Age range was 70-85 years with a mean age of 76.5 years. All subjects were individually administered The Reminiscence Questionnaire and the Personal Orientation Inventory. The following four hypotheses were analyzed: (H1) Elderly males or females participating in a senior day center, living in a long-term care facility, or residing in a senior retirement community will show no significant difference in scores on frequency of reminiscence on The Reminiscence Questionnaire. (H2) Elderly males or females participating in a senior day center, living in a long-term care facility, or residing in a senior retirement community will show no significant difference in scores on affective quality of reminiscence on The Reminiscence Questionnaire. (H3) Elderly males or females participating in a senior day center, living in a long-term care facility, or residing in a senior retirement community will show no significant difference in scores on self-actualization on the Personal Orientation Inventory. (H4) There will be no significant interaction between gender and residential setting regarding frequency of reminiscence, affective quality of reminiscence, and scores on self-actualization. Neither reminiscence frequency nor reminiscence affect of respondents significantly differed between setting and gender. Significant results beyond the .05 level of confidence were obtained on both measures of self-actualization. Results indicated that residential setting was the source of the statistically significant difference with gender having no statistically significant independent effect. Residential setting and gender of respondents did not significantly interact regarding reminiscence frequency, reminiscence affect, and self-actualization. These data indicate that the residential setting of older persons influences both time competence and inner-directedness, factors of self-actualization.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:arizona.edu/oai:arizona.openrepository.com:10150/290539 |
| Date | January 1980 |
| Creators | Eargle, Donnelle Ianthe |
| Publisher | The University of Arizona. |
| Source Sets | University of Arizona |
| Language | en_US |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | text, Dissertation-Reproduction (electronic) |
| Rights | Copyright © is held by the author. Digital access to this material is made possible by the University Libraries, University of Arizona. Further transmission, reproduction or presentation (such as public display or performance) of protected items is prohibited except with permission of the author. |
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