Although daily social exchanges are important for well-being, it is unclear how different types of exchanges affect daily well-being, as well as which factors influence the way in which individuals react to their daily social encounters. The present study included a sample of 705 adults aged 31 to 91, and using Multilevel Modeling analyses…

Analyses examine change in the age people "feel" ("felt age") and "would like to be" ("ideal age") (relative to current age) in middle and later life. Data are from 1,815 respondents in two waves (1995-96, 2004-06) of the Midlife in the United States Survey (MIDUS) who were age 40+ at Wave 1. In aggregate, people feel about the same amount younger…

A person-environment approach was used to explore the relationship between community involvement and attitudes toward aging among middle-age and older lesbians and gay men. Specifically, this study investigated the relationships between participation in gay community activities, perceived control, and aging-related concerns among two…

One of the social identities held by people is defined by whether or not they smoke cigarettes. Although this identity can and does change for many people over the course of their lives, most research has not examined the effects of transitioning from a smoker to a non-smoker. Using a life span perspective, our analyses contrasted the extent to…

In two related studies, we examined flashbulb memories acquired from different points in the lifespan in younger and older adults. When asked to remember flashbulb memories from their lives, older adults were most likely to recall events from the reminiscence bump (Study 1A). In Study 1B, younger and older adults recalled 9/11 and a personal…

The study explored goals in couple relationships, and determined their association with age and the level of satisfaction expressed with the relationship. The participants were made up of 355 volunteers, aged between 20 and 78, who had been in a relationship for more than 6 months. The sample was gathered to ensure an age and gender balance.…

The majority of our knowledge about eating disorders derives from adolescent and young adult samples; knowledge regarding disordered eating in middle and later adulthood is limited. We examined the associations among known predictors of eating disorders for younger adults in an age-diverse sample and within the context of psychological distress.…

This study examined the impact of loss of vision on important life domains depending on life context. The sample included two groups dealing with vision impairment: middle-aged (n = 44) and older adults (n = 107). Findings showed important group differences in extent, type, and facet of life changes across and within four life domains:…

This article examines experiences of chronological age. Using data from the British Household Panel Survey, we analyze both qualitatively and quantitatively verbatim responses from 8177 respondents aged 16 and over concerning the (dis)advantages of their age. Two main questions are tested: (1) Is the cultural narrative of age decline supported by…

This research explores the perceived exchange of social support resources of young, midlife, and older adults in the United States and Japan, and how perceptions of exchange may moderate attributions of control, difficulty, and success in attaining important life-goals. A survey was administered to participants in the United States and Japan who…

Examined age differences in person perception using a coding system. (Peevers and Secord, 1973). Adults (N=40) described people thay knew in three age categories. A pattern of stability in the degree of differentiation of descriptions emerged, with shifts in the relative importance of certain information in different age groups. (JAC)

This study examined reminiscence functions and vivid (i.e., landmark) personal memories in nine samples ranging from the teens to the nineties. Participants (n = 198) ranging in age from 18-95 years completed the Reminiscence Functions Scale (Webster, 1997) and described a vivid personal memory which was subsequently rated for frequency of recall,…

This study examined age differences in topics that generate interpersonal tensions as well as relationship level characteristics that may account for variability in the content of interpersonal tensions. Participants aged 13 to 99 years (N = 184) diagramed their close and problematic social networks, and then provided open-ended descriptions of…

Asked adults (n=103) aged 19 to 83 to project themselves into oldest age imaginable; describe hopes and fears for that age; and name role models for those hopes and fears. Analysis revealed that length of future perspective, number of hopes, and number of role models for distant future declined with age. (Author/ABL)

Compared Sibling Thematic Apperception Test scores of 30 men and 30 women, divided equally between stages of child-rearing and empty nest, who had same-sex, closely-spaced sibling, to examine sibling relationships during adulthood. Results showed no differences in affiliation or conflict theme frequencies between two life stages. Separation themes…