The general impression conveyed by the literature in the social psychology of aging is that various dimensions of the self, including self-esteem, are relatively fixed and stable by the later stages of the life cycle. Existing research implies that the self-esteem of older persons is higher than that of younger persons, and also more stable or…

Research addressing the question of what type of neighborhood environment is most supportive for older persons has identified a number of variables characterizing the physical or social context which interact with the personal characteristics of an individual to produce supportive or nonsupportive environments. Neighborhood environment was…

The paper addresses issues involved in the aging of persons disabled earlier through spinal dysfunction (post-polio and spinal cord injury) and mental retardation. Biological, psychological, and social aspects of aging are examined separately. In a discussion of longevity and physical health, causes of functional aging are considered.…

Studies have indicated that subjects with more years of education show a positive attitude toward older persons. The present study investigated the effects of other variables, in this case race and social class, in relation to attitudes toward older persons. A sample group of high school juniors and seniors whose ages ranged from 16 to 18 were…

Despite low levels of criminal victimization, older people often express greater fear of crime than others. To examine the causes and consequences of such fear, 1,185 adults aged 60 and over, were interviewed about their personal characteristics, social resources, environment, subjective well-being, and lifestyle. Results showed that older people…

Normal drinking patterns in an older population were examined by posing a series of questions directed at identifying drinking norms and practices, the social context and changes in alcohol use over time, and the ways individuals perceive alcohol and drinking. Instruments (N=3) were constructed: a schedule for structured personal interviews with…

Elderly residents of a large southern city were surveyed in a study designed to examine the effects of media advertising on the elderly's perceptions. The 91 subjects completed a questionnaire on social factors such as the subjects' self-image, their perceptions of the elderly as portrayed by the mass media, product brand preferences, sex role…

Special problems of adult language learners aged 50 and older studying English as a second language include physical, social, and psychological factors. Physical factors related to aging include vision and hearing problems that adults may not be willing to admit to. Older adults may also be more sensitive to room temperature and lighting, and may…

This brief presentation discusses various problems older adults face. First, older adults are described, and old age is defined. Old age starts after 50, and older adults should not be considered as a homogeneous group; thay fall into many different categories which enrich rather than impoverish them as a group. The long experience they have had…

The rationale for psychosocial micro and macro interventions for the prevention and treatment of depression in aging women is conceptually based upon empirical research. The investigator's person-environment incongruence model of depression, applied to a study of 50 depressed and 50 non-depressed white women for the purpose of exploring possible…

The social, behavioral, and physiological effects of episodic crowding on children and elderly adults are reported in this paper. Children ranging in ages from 9 to 16 and elderly adults ranging in ages from 60 to 90 were grouped by age into small and large rooms. Each group sat silently for 30 minutes in the rooms while skin conductance equipment…

An exploratory study was designed to assess (1) whether a class created around older adults' personal recollections would motivate the class's involvement in adult education activities, (2) the oral history preparation process's impact on younger interviewers and older respondents, and (3) the instructional approach's strengths and weaknesses. The…