The relationships between somatic and sociological-psychological variables are complex. Each mental change which occurs in aging is more or less closely accompanied by somatic changes. The reverse is also true. The objective state of health and the subjective feeling of well-being are linked. Both can exert an influence over behavior and…

A 139-item questionnaire was constructed to account for additional variance in the attitudes and behaviors of student nurses toward the aged. This study was conducted to examine the effects of death anxiety on the attitudes and behaviors of student nurses toward old persons. To this end, 150 student nurses were surveyed. Eight scales were…

This paper discusses the quantitative and qualitative aspects of the relationship between cognitive abilities and behavioral competencies in elderly institutional residents. The former was assessed by an array of five cognitive measures: two Piagetian tasks, Set Test, WAIS Vocabulary and Digit Span subtests, and the WMS Associate Learning subtest;…

This paper reflects selected findings from a study of successful coping mechanisms used by elderly individuals who, approximately two years before the time of being interviewed, had experienced a major crisis identified as either: (1) the death of a significant individual with whom the elderly person has in most cases been living until the time of…

This paper explores Q-Factor Analysis as a method of organizing data on a large array of variables to describe a group of aged Ss. Forty-seven males, specially selected for their good health (Mean Age: 71.5; SD: 4.8) were measured on 550 biological and behavioral variables. A Q-Factor Analysis was calculated, using a S by variable matrix, which is…

This study reports an experimentally designed evaluation of Reality Orientation. Twelve elderly residents were chosen for the experimental group and 13 residents were chosen for the no-treatment control group. Both classroom Reality Orientation and 24-hour Reality Orientation were introduced on the experimental floor. A pretest-posttest control…

The need for the incorporation of training in geriatrics and gerontology into basic medical and dental education has recently been recognized. Existing studies which attempt to measure the attitudes of medical and dental students toward the aged are extremely limited. As part of a larger study of attitudes and knowledge among 500 health workers,…

This report contains the proceedings of four sessions of the Interagency Panel for Research and Development on Adulthood (October 1978 - April 1979): (1) Postsecondary Education Reauthorization and the Adult/Nontraditional Learner, (2) Changing Socio-Demographics in the United States and Their Impact on Social Institutions, (3) Stress and Social…