Socioemotional Selectivity Theory (SST) (Carstensen, 1992, 1993) accounts for lifespan changes in human social networks and for the motivations which underlie those changes. SST is applied in this research with 256 prison inmates and non-inmates, ages 18-84, from Mississippi, Kansas, and New Mexico. Two research questions sought to identify (a)…

Examined relationships between age, value of time over both short and long term, perceived time to death, self-perceived activity levels, and estimates of brief time intervals in a sample of older institutionalized males. Time intervals were increasingly underestimated with advancing age, indicating that time units are short with increasing age.…

This paper is concerned with the spoken communication of chronically ill and aging residents of long-term care institutions. Spoken communication is a vital component of social interaction and psychological well-being underlying such concepts as isolation, integration, and adjustment; it is a fertile area for investigation and analysis. (Author)

Contrary to an earlier report, this study showed that life satisfaction of 56 institutionalized elderly women was associated with internality. Satisfaction was inversely related to their perception of institutional constraints, its most powerful determinant. (Author)

Compared residualized Kendrick Battery scores, measures of affect, and measures of organicity among 53 elderly persons to determine measures' ability to differentiate elderly persons who survived and those who did not. Results suggest that Kendrick Battery subtests, measures of depression and organicity, in combination with length of…

Statistics on place of death, validated against longitudinal evidence on entrance into nursing homes, shows the "final" rate of institutionalization to have risen in Sweden between 1938 and 1975. Issues concerning who is institutionalized and why appear more important than precise measurement of rates of institutionalization. (Author/NB)

In this exploratory study, 94 elderly persons, in seven senior service centers and one nursing home, were interviewed to identify and ascertain the meaning of cherished possessions in later years. Lack of cherished possessions was associated with low life satisfaction scores, a suggested indicator of poor adjustment to old age. (Author)

Analyzed 151 behavioral-gerontological research studies published before 1984 and categorized the observation, assessment, or intervention studies. Found that: (1) many studies focused on institutionalized elderly; (2) less than 20 percent of studies focused on observation or assessment; and (3) intervention studies were often problematic. Results…

Used modified differential reinforcement of other behavior schedule with exclusionary time-out procedure to treat 69-year-old aggressive male patient. Results showed clear demonstration of behavioral control and clinically significant treatment effects during experimental periods. (Author/NB)

Describes the development of the Social Well-Being Scale, designed to measure the extent to which institutionalized older persons (N=140) perceive their social needs as being met. The scale distinguishes subjects by race, health, and type of living arrangement, and predicts psychological well-being. (JAC)

The concept of dignity is developed from an ethological perspective. Special attention is given to innate, phylogentically programed behavior, the role of releasers, the importance of rituals, and the fact that "management problems" in institutions are often cries for dignity. (Author)

Compared effects of different visiting programs (people, people and pets, pets, no visit) on behaviors of nursing home residents. Found all three visiting programs increased behaviors of smiling and alertness in comparison to control conditions. Close proximity to person-alone visitor was associated with greatest number of positive resident…

Develops a perspective for studying conversational behavior in geriatric institutions. Considers why conversation is a theoretically significant focus for communications researchers concerned with the aged and presents data from ethnographic studies of two nursing facilities. Data highlight the importance of conversational behavior for…

Discusses sex differences in the relocation patterns of 37 institutionalized patients interviewed prior to and following relocation. Trends indicated that while males scored slightly higher levels of mental alertness, females appeared to be better suited to life in the institution. (JAC)

This study investigates the effects of age, level of education, and institutionalization on the development of logical thinking. Seven Piagetian tasks, encompassing three levels of difficulty, were administered to 34 persons 68 years of age or older. A significant positive relationship was found between success on tasks and educational level.…