This paper examines political behavior among two samples of Mexican-American elderly. The findings show that the Mexican-American elderly have relatively low rates of political activity and a sense of efficacy. Factors leading to this political behavior--fear, lack of communication, socioeconomic status--are discussed. (Author)

Politically alienated elderly include those feeling inefficacious and others who are cynical. Yet cynics hold favorable attitudes toward voting and regularly cast ballots. The inefficacy and cynicism associated with political conservatism reflect pre-New Deal educational norms and political orientation. (Author)

Examines age-related changing levels of voting turnout across time at the individual level, using the University of Michigan Survey Research Center panel studies. Demonstrated that older people do not differ substantially from other age groups in the durability of their voting behavior across time. (JAC)

The tendency of more than 1100 males and females aged 17-92 to daydream about the past, present, and future was determined. Contrary to common belief, no linear relation between age and daydreaming about the past was observed, and all temporal orientations were of near equal strength at all ages. (Author)

Implementation of "24-hour" and classroom Reality Orientation procedures resulted in improved orientation to environment and behavioral functioning for confused and disoriented residents of an institution for the elderly. This study used a pretest-posttest control group design with 12 residents in the experimental group and 13 residents…

A study of urban frail elderly revealed an association between higher rates of social interaction and more reliance on informal aid but less reliance on formal agencies. It may well be that informal social ties block proper access to useful services rather than lead to more humane and cheaper alternatives. (Author)

Questionnaires were administered to a sample of adults to assess the extent of social distance between people of different ages. The findings suggest that the greater the age difference (younger or older) between people, the greater the social distance they feel. (Author)

Administrators in higher education disclosed life style patterns for the "retirement period" from ages 65 to 75. Two contrasting patterns are described-Transformers and Maintainers. These groups reported differences in boyhood experiences, attitudes toward retirement, and choices of activity after age 65. (Author)

A descriptive analysis of official statistics of completed and attempted suicides of the Jewish elderly in Israel disclosed patterns somewhat different from those known in Western industrial societies. (Author)

Purpose: To identify the most common beliefs concerning the negative consequences of falling and determine whether these motivate avoidance of activity. Design and Methods: A questionnaire assessing feared consequences of falling was completed by 224 community-living people aged older than 75. Beliefs about the consequences of falling were related…

Purpose: Given stereotypes of older adults, there is the perception that older adults will not use health information technologies. One concern is that practitioners might shy away from providing older patients with health information, and in particular, computerized information. The study's primary objective was to evaluate whether a health…

This study monitored the impact of intra-institutional relocation upon the mortality and morbidity of movers and nonmovers over a period of 30 months. Results reveal a higher mortality rate and a greater decrement on the physical and mental functioning of male patients who were transferred. (Author)

Describes four sectors comprising "the good life": behavioral competence, psychological well-being, perceived quality of life, and objective environment. Assessment approaches for each sector are described and empirical evidence is presented regarding interrelationships among them. Presented at the 35th Annual Scientific Meeting of the…

Explores the utility of Bandura's self-efficacy theory for studying older adults' behavioral competencies in college. Expectations of personal efficacy are viewed as mediating mechanisms for predicting the initiation and persistence of educationally relevant behaviors. Theoretical issues related to the assessment of self-efficacy and performance…

Questions whether role loss significantly influences volunteering, based on data from a sample of 4,339 older adults. Findings suggested that other social characteristics such as socioeconomic status and gender have a greater influence on volunteer patterns. (JAC)