Identified five sources of death anxiety. Significant relationships were observed between each source and experimental factors. The relationship between death anxiety and attitude toward voluntary passive euthanasia was explored, and a significant correlation was noted among elderly persons. Results were consistent with an idiographic orientation…

Challenges the disengagement theory of adaptation in the aging process. Suggests that the withdrawal phenomenon exhibited by the elderly simply reflects reduced environmental opportunities for social interaction. Views interpersonal intimacy as the key to satisfactory adjustment. Presents a longitudinal developmental approach to the development of…

Studied the relationship between progressive hearing loss (presbycusic) hearing patterns and social involvement of the aged. Individuals (N=50) with presbycusic hearing patterns were asked specific questions about their social activities. Results indicated that social involvement was not related significantly to the amount of hearing loss in this…

Tested the activity theory (which proposes that elderly persons remain in active contact with their environment) and disengagement theory (which suggests adjustment comes through reduction of activity and social contact). Disengaged elderly were identified. Subjects demonstrated significant improvement over the untreated control subjects. Results…

Older Japanese adults had a positive family image and more positive perceptions of their present selves. Younger adults were more positive towards friends and future self-image. Women had consistantly better self-concepts. Both groups were negative toward aging but positive toward the aged. (Author/JAC)

Children with an Alzheimer grandparent perceived a poorer relationship with the grandparent than that perceived by children with a healthy grandparent. Maternal stress was found to have a mediating influence on relationships between children and grandparents. Children from both groups were found to have quite positive views of the elderly in…

A study of 100 elderly people was carried out to determine whether well-being was more affected by having a confidant or by having a confidant and a social network (the Weiss model). The two models were evaluated by comparing the relative influence of the confidant variable with the peer group variable. Both were of equal importance to well-being.…

Explored gender and relationship differences in caregiving--for a spouse, parent, parent-in-law, other relative, or friend--among a sample of employed caregivers (N=2,174). Results revealed no gender differences in the provision of 7 of 13 caregiving tasks, but women devoted more time and were more likely to be primary caregivers. (RJM)

Tests socioemotional selectivity theory among African Americans and European Americans. Older people reported as many close partners but fewer peripheral partners as their younger counterparts, thus confirming the theory. A greater percentage of close social partners in social networks related to lower levels of happiness among the young age group…

In response to the high rate of suicide among aging people, this study investigated sense of belonging as a predictor of reasons for living in an aged sample. A community sample of 104 Australians aged 61 to 95 years completed The Reasons for Living Inventory and The Sense of Belonging Instrument. Results indicated that a higher sense of belonging…

Control beliefs and social relationships have been individually assessed in relation to adaptation to chronic illness, although only rarely together. Further, some control scales show psychometric limitations in older adult samples. To address these concerns, a scale assessing external control was created by factor analyzing the items from…

Theories of social interaction and lifelong learning have been advanced by K. Lewin, J. Moreno, T. Sarbin, J. W. Thibaut and H. H. Kelley, R. S. Perinbanayagam, and B. Dervin. From this research lifelong learning can be seen as an affective and cognitive activity that occurs in the life-space of the actor in response to positive or negative field…

Dancing is not only a means to insure the activity and involvement of growing numbers of seniors, it is also a viable choice for the stimulation of health, self-worth, belonging, and joy in aging. Two successful programs in southeastern Connecticut and one in Washington, D.C. illustrate the effectiveness of dancing for the aging. Each program is…

These hearings explore the gap between young and old and ways to bridge that gap. Statements from each of the eight members of the committee focus on the relationship between youths and older adults, the role of the family, and the need for strengthening inter-generational relationships. Statements are presented from witnesses including child…

While changes in levels of activity and in social relationships in old age have interested researchers for some time, longitudinal studies have only recently begun to yield information about changes in social relationships across time for older adults. Parents (N=74) of the 1928-1929 Guidance Study and Berkeley Growth Study children, who are now…