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When Does The Positivity Effect Emerge? : Age-Related Emotional Biases At Encoding And Retrieval, Hannah Wolfe Jan 2019

When Does The Positivity Effect Emerge? : Age-Related Emotional Biases At Encoding And Retrieval, Hannah Wolfe

Honors Theses

The Socioemotional Selectivity Theory (SST) posits that as their future time perspective shrinks, older adults tend to be more motivated by emotionally meaningful goals and therefore experience what is called the “positivity effect” with age (Carstensen, 2006). The positivity effect had been studied in both attention biases (Isaacowitz et al., 2006a) and memory biases (Kensinger, 2008), with older adults dwelling longer on and better remembering the positive stimuli over the negative. Yet, few studies have measured emotional biases at both the encoding and retrieval phases, which is why this study uses eye-tracking to determine whether any biases in gaze patterns …


Culture, Elder-Care, Interrole Transitions, And Work-Family Conflict : A U.S.-Chinese Comparison, John Paul Agosta Jan 2015

Culture, Elder-Care, Interrole Transitions, And Work-Family Conflict : A U.S.-Chinese Comparison, John Paul Agosta

Legacy Theses & Dissertations (2009 - 2024)

This study provides an exploratory cross-cultural comparison of the role of culture, elder-care demands, and interrole transitions within the work-family conflict context. The two main research questions were focused on how eldercare demands relate to familial collectivism, and how these two constructs related to interrole transitions. One sample from the U.S. (n= 820) and one sample from China (n= 685) were obtained via online survey panels and compared on the same variables. The findings were for the most part similar for China and America overall, and mediation analyses indicated a relationship between elder-care demands and work-family conflict through family-to-work transitioning …


Religiosity And Successful Aging, Jessica L. York Jan 2008

Religiosity And Successful Aging, Jessica L. York

ETD Archive

There has been an increasing amount of elderly individuals who have avoided the crippling health and physical problems that appear to vex so much of the older adult population. These successful agers have also learned to cope more effectively with both the normative and traumatic stressors they encounter over time. Successful aging has been defined in numerous ways and studied in a variety of contexts. This study set to define successful aging in terms of anxiety, depression, and subjective well-being, while also examining the relationship of successful aging with religiosity. The fundamental goal of this study was to examine the …


Individual Differences In Interpersonal Dependency In Older Adults: Development Of A Measure And Its Evaluation In Health Care Services, Deborah Gardner Jan 2003

Individual Differences In Interpersonal Dependency In Older Adults: Development Of A Measure And Its Evaluation In Health Care Services, Deborah Gardner

Theses: Doctorates and Masters

Increasing dependency in older age is conceptualised differently by various disciplines. Psychologists have contributed to the understanding of dependency in older age by describing and explaining the functionality of dependency across the life-span. Psychological research has also examined variables (such as the responses of carers to-the dependent behayiours of older people) that exacerbate dependent feelings and behaviours (Baltes, 1996), but it has not included an individual difference measure of interpersonal dependency. According to Rosowsky~ Dougherty, Johnson and Gurian (1997), an understanding of the ways that personality style affects older adults' engagement and reception of health services would assist providers in …


Coping With Health-Related Problems And Psychological Distress Amongst Older Adult Hospital Patients, Fotini Katerina Zachariades Jan 2000

Coping With Health-Related Problems And Psychological Distress Amongst Older Adult Hospital Patients, Fotini Katerina Zachariades

Theses: Doctorates and Masters

This study addresses the extent to which coping strategies can predict emotional status amongst a sample of older adult hospital patients in Perth, Western Australia. Older people are frequently in hospitals because of the large number of serious health problems that are more common in this age group. Older people vary in how well they deal with illness, and negative emotional reactions can complicate medical care. The emotional states of depression, anxiety and somatic complaints were assessed in a group of 120 older adults from two Perth hospitals. Two questionnaires were administered: the Depression, Anxiety and Somatic Complaints subscales from …


What Sexuality? : An Exploratory Study Examining Sexual Activity And Affectionate Sexual Expression In A Western Australian Sample Of Older Adults, Christina M. Petz Jan 1999

What Sexuality? : An Exploratory Study Examining Sexual Activity And Affectionate Sexual Expression In A Western Australian Sample Of Older Adults, Christina M. Petz

Theses: Doctorates and Masters

Sexuality later in life has been receiving increased research interest, however, a large majority of research investigates a narrow range of sexual behaviours, primarily frequency of sexual intercourse. There is limited information regarding other forms of sexual expression, specifically affectionate sexual expression that are relevant to older adults. The present day study explores what affectionate sexual behaviours constitute affectionate sexual expression and compares sexual intercourse with affectionate expression. The sample consisted of 77 married men (n=35) and women (n=42) aged 60-89 years who came from various senior groups and organisations in the Perth metropolitan area. A survey was developed that …


Knowledge And Attitudes Of Sexuality In The Elderly Among Educators Of Health Care Professionals, Joanne L. Chapman Jan 1999

Knowledge And Attitudes Of Sexuality In The Elderly Among Educators Of Health Care Professionals, Joanne L. Chapman

Theses: Doctorates and Masters

Many elderly adults have fears and concerns regarding sexuality, including the impact of chronic disease on sexual function. Typically, society has negative attitudes toward elderly sexual expression with misconceptions, negative stereotyping and myths compounding ageist perceptions that the elderly become asexual with age. Thus knowledge of and attitudes toward sexuality in the elderly has become an area of interest over the past several decades. In an attempt to promote sexual expression as a right for the elderly and physiological changes viewed in terms of positive adjustment, White (1982) developed an instrument to determine knowledge of and attitudes towards sexuality of …


Perceptions Of Elder Abuse Among Australian Elderly Individuals And General Practitioners, Marianela Cuevas Jan 1998

Perceptions Of Elder Abuse Among Australian Elderly Individuals And General Practitioners, Marianela Cuevas

Theses: Doctorates and Masters

Research available on elder abuse is limited. There continues to be a lack of uniformity in how to define and identify the problem, as well as how to intervene. One group which continues to be excluded from the process of gaining knowledge on the issue of elder abuse is the elderly themselves. As general practitioners are the primary source of health care for older people, their perspectives on elder mistreatment should be explored as well. The first objective of this study was to examine whether differences existed in the perceived severity of potentially abusive situations between three groups of older …


Predictability Of Everyday Task Performance By Perceived Health, Self-Efficacy And Cognitive Ability, Joan Klinger Jan 1998

Predictability Of Everyday Task Performance By Perceived Health, Self-Efficacy And Cognitive Ability, Joan Klinger

Theses: Doctorates and Masters

This exploratory research investigated the relationship between a brief neuropsychological measure and everyday functional ability in older community dwelling adults. The association between these two areas is complex, as a specific functional domain often involves several of the cognitive skills typically assessed by a neuropsychological instrument. Whilst there is an extensive literature linking neuropyschological tests to everyday functioning in cognitively impaired older adults, little research has been directed at investigating the relationship between cognitive test performance and everyday competence in non-dementing older people who reside independently in the community. A brief cognitive instrument able to predict coping deficits in instrumental …


Residence, Perceived Latitude Of Choice And Desired Control Among The Long-Livin, Steven R. Shank Jan 1985

Residence, Perceived Latitude Of Choice And Desired Control Among The Long-Livin, Steven R. Shank

Master's Theses

Perceived control, perceived choice, and residential setting are important factors which need to be addressed in research involving long-living. The focus of this study was to determine the relationships among thee variables. The search for an interaction between residential setting (either high or low constraining) and perceived choice and its effect on perceived control distinguishes this study from previous research.


Psychological Needs Of The Elderly : Community, Religious Affiliated Institutions, And Public Institutions, Sharon Bonaventura Apr 1984

Psychological Needs Of The Elderly : Community, Religious Affiliated Institutions, And Public Institutions, Sharon Bonaventura

Master's Theses

Although research has shown that psychological needs change as a person ages, available data on the relationship of psychological needs and types of residential institutions for the elderly are limited. The purpose of this study was to explore the possible connection between a particular residential environment and the elderly's psychological needs. Forty-five elderly females ages 62 through 89, participated in this study. Subjects were chosen from one of three residential groups, community, religious affiliated institutions, and public institutions. All subjects were asked to complete the Edwards Personal Preference Schedule. In addition, demographic data were collected on each subject. Results from …


Art Therapy As A Mechanism For Increasing Life Satisfaction In Later Life, Phyllis Laulainen Mcgraw May 1980

Art Therapy As A Mechanism For Increasing Life Satisfaction In Later Life, Phyllis Laulainen Mcgraw

Dissertations and Theses

It was hypothesized that art therapy with the elderly would increase the quality of an informal life review and motivate them toward greater psychological well-being (life satisfaction). To test this hypothesis, 30 subjects between the ages of 61 and 83 were assigned to three experimental conditions: Art Therapy Group, Discussion Group, and Control Group.


The Institutionalization Of The Aged, Cynthia E. Allen Apr 1979

The Institutionalization Of The Aged, Cynthia E. Allen

Honors Theses

This study, "The Institutionalization of the Aged", deals with several aspects of institutionalization in order to determine how both the physical and psychological needs of the elderly are currently being met and how the present situation can be improved. The topics covered include the process of entering an institution, the problems of institutional living, the types of programs available in institutions, the process of leaving an institution, and some possible improvements in institutional life. These topics are studied by researching the current literature on aging that deals with institutionalization. From the research, it appears that the elderly have many special …


Life Satisfaction And Aging: A Comparison Of Life Satisfaction Index A, The Tennessee Self Concept Scale And Correlates, Ann Rowley Penberthy Aug 1977

Life Satisfaction And Aging: A Comparison Of Life Satisfaction Index A, The Tennessee Self Concept Scale And Correlates, Ann Rowley Penberthy

Master's Theses

The purpose of this study was to examine the relationship between life satisfaction and other relevant variables in a sample of noninstitutionalized older Americans. Recent research has related satisfaction with life to adjustment in aging. Previous studies, however, have used a variety of methods to measure life satisfaction or self-concept. This study was designed to be an analysis of the Tennessee Self Concept Scale and the Life Satisfaction Index A with selected personal and behavioral variables. 59 subjects, primarily Jewish, aged 56 to 91 were tested during their regular activity meetings at the Jewish Community Center of Richmond, Virginia. The …