Age changes in categorization and conceptual styles were studied using an object-sorting task in 276 subjects representing seven age groups. Significant age effects were found in the analysis of variance for four of six measures; there were no significant sex or interaction effects. (Author)

Compared nocturnal sleep structure of 10 healthy elderly nuns to that of 10 healthy age-matched female controls. The nuns fell asleep more quickly and had less early morning awakening, as well as greater rapid eye movement sleep time. These differences may reflect the more highly entrained life style of the nuns, including modest habitual sleep…

Young (N=18) and older (N=18) adults participated in a vocabulary task involving varying degrees of risk with a payoff structure that varied either directly or inversely with risk. In contrast to prior research using constant payoff structures, results did not indicate that older adults are more cautious than young adults. (Author)

Compared attitudes and help-seeking strategies of older adults (N=39) with younger age groups in regard to using mental health services and other help sources. Results indicated that older participants were less knowledgeable about the availability of mental health services and were less likely to utilize them. (RC)

Older persons are more likely to get physical checkups and overutilize the health care system for minor complaints, but are little different from the younger in underutilization for conditions which should receive a doctor's attention. There is a need to help the elderly sort out symptoms requiring attention. (Author)

Consumer choice of health provider plan and preference for a personal physician were studied for 1,438 elderly adults using a joint logit model (JL) and a nested logit model. Choice criteria used by senior citizens, and reasons the nested choice model explains choice behavior better than the JL are examined. (SLD)

This study compared the MMPI profiles of law offenders (N=362) at different ages to examine personality changes associated with aging and to assess certain clinically derived impressions about patterns of personality disturbance in older vs. younger offenders. The greater the age difference between groups, the larger were the personality…

Purpose: This is the second article reporting a project that (a) characterized the longitudinal functional patterns of residents in an affordable, assisted living housing (ALH) milieu for low-income people and (b) compared the ALH residents' functional patterns with those for similarly low-income, community-dwelling people. Design and Methods:…

Risk-taking attitudes and behaviors among young and elderly adults were investigated. Elderly subjects, from both a nursing home and the community, and college students responded to choice dilemmas involving aged central characters. Each subject responded twice, once under "self" instructions, and once as the "average elderly person" would…

Preretirement characteristics, postretirement attitudes, and retirement satisfaction were examined for (N=1511) retirees. Multivariate analysis indicated that retirement style was a significant predictor of overall retirement satisfaction, and the subscales of satisfaction with activities, and satisfaction with finances. (Author)

Young and middle-aged adults contrast with aged adults in their reactions to sudden economic expansion in a small town favored by many as their retirement community. During anthropological research in this community, conflicts between various age strata were noted to be more intense when persons are strangers. (Author)

The social network of elderly blacks was compared with whites in a sample of 241 ambulatory persons interviewed in congregate settings in a planning district of a border Southern state. Questions were asked about monthly patterns of social interaction, such as visiting and phone contacts with children, other kin, neighbors, friends, involvement in…

The study explored the effect of membership in nonpolitical voluntary associations upon the degree of political activity of members. In particular, the authors asked whether or not these effects were found in a relatively uniform pattern across different age groups. On the basis of the reported levels of political discussion in 14 types of…

This study describes the civic and political behavior of the American public, with a special focus on youth ages 15 to 25. Using an extensive national telephone survey of 3,246 respondents, the authors describe what citizens are doing, and how often they are doing it. They look at a panorama of 19 core activities--ranging from voting to…