In this article, we combine the extensive literature on the analysis of life-course trajectories as sequences with the literature on causal inference and propose a new matching approach to investigate the causal effect of the timing of life-course events on subsequent outcomes. Our matching approach takes into account pre-event confounders that…

This research reports on the significance of grandmotherhood to an area sample of 125 females, most of whom were grandmothers, age 70 or over. The paper describes the development of a typology which was designed to identify, describe, and test four distinct types of grandparenting. (Author)

Behavioral observations were conducted on aged mentally impaired females in an institutional environment on a weekly basis for a two-year period. Half the subjects remained stable in the level of their behavioral functioning. Stable subjects evidenced less serious medical conditions, had better comprehension of their situations and were more…

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…

Reports on observations of interpersonal touching behavior patterns among residents of homes for the elderly. Analyzes behavior for Blacks and Whites, males and females, in terms of who initiates touching and parts of the body touched and used for touching. (JMF)

It has been suggested that neglect patients misrepresent the metric spatial relations along the horizontal axis (anisometry). The ''fabric'' of their internal spatial medium would be distorted in such a way that physically equal distances appear relatively shorter on the contralesional side (canonical anisometry). The case of GL, a 76-year-old…

This paper reports on a four-year longitudinal study of 60 elderly women. Data about their happiness and social activities were collected using the Affect Balance Scale and nine measures of socially relevant activities. Direct relationships between happiness and social activity among elderly people were found. (Author)

Life goals and commitment are integral to developmental processes and satisfactions in adulthood and aging. Yet the maintenance and pursuit of appropriate goals and commitments during the aging years may pose particular challenges for the individual within the social context of normal aging. This study examined goals, activity participation, and…

With the increased longevity American women experience, it is important to begin to define the strengths and resources women bring to old age. Late parental, married women with a mean age of 58 (N=75) completed an interview questionnaire which included open- and closed-ended and scale items. Data analysis developed four life-style orientations…

This study sought to relate the dynamic patterns of older adults to their use of television within the whole range of activity patterns available to them. Central to the study was an intensive interview study of a select sample (32 women and 18 men in a Columbus, Ohio, senior citizen community); this precluded derivative generalizations for the…

Examination of suicide data in the United States shows that peaks occur only in a few subpopulations. Day-of-the-week effects are found almost exclusively in middle-aged suicides. Day-of-the-month effects are found for elderly males, and month-of-the-year effects occur for teenagers and the elderly. (SLD)

In a study of 630 elderly Hispanic women it was found that four cultural factors associated with assimilation were not strong predictors of preventive health behavior. These findings agree with those of other studies. Stronger predictors for Hispanics are sociodemographic factors and access and availability of health services. (VM)

Studies exposure to life stress as an explanation for gender differences in older adults' utilization of social support. Results suggest that, as stressful events increase, elderly men and women are equally likely to become more involved in their social network, while gender differences emerge in response to chronic financial strain. (JS)

This article briefly delineates the major problems of older women who feel "over the hill" and suggests ways that counselors can be increasingly effective in their efforts to understand and work with these women. (Author)

A survey in three United States cities indicates that fear of rape is greatest among women who are elderly, belong to ethnic minorities, or have low incomes. Certain psychosocial and environmental factors are associated with high fear levels among women. Fear, in turn, determines the use of certain types of safety strategies. (Author/MJL)