Investigates changes in retirement patterns in the 20th century through two lenses: as nonemployment and as leisure in the postwar economy. Discusses the shifting financial liability for retirement as the number of retirees rises in proportion to the number of workers, causing additional changes in retirement patterns and social security. (SK)

Discusses life satisfaction, happiness, and morale, three indicators of subjective well-being that have been of particular interest to psychosocial gerontologists. Two problems in the use of such indicators--usage variance and inappropriate assessment level--are examined. Potential solutions to these problems are suggested and discussed briefly.…

Proposes Value-Behavior Congruency Model of Family Life Satisfaction, model which assesses family from its own value base. Sees model as way to define and conceptualize family life satisfaction. Explains that model is anchored both theoretically and empirically, and discusses implications of the model for clinical assessment and intervention.…

For members of the elderly housing industry, important questions concern how people decide to become residents of a particular senior community, how they function after they move in, and how they feel about their experience in the community. Scientists can design and conduct research to answer these questions. In an elderly housing facility,…

Discusses intimacy as a multidimensional concept with particular attention paid to love and sexuality among older women. Women's life satisfaction and psychological well-being were related to their satisfaction with their intimate relationship. Passionate and companionate love as well as sexual satisfaction were related to contentment with…

Discusses three measurement approaches to assessing quality of life for individuals with disabilities (quality of life as measure of life satisfaction across life domains, measure of adaptive functioning/environmental mastery, and measure of changes in response to services provided). Provides examples of approaches and discusses implications for…

Integrates the traditional activity theory explanation of adjustment to aging with the aged subculture theory advanced by Rose. A path model to data from two subsamples of older adults. Self-conception is shown to be an important intervening variable between social activity and life satisfaction. (Author)

Presents comprehensive conceptualization of concerns and benefits experienced by dual career couples and discusses implications for counseling. Asks counselors to expand role to help couples challenge unquestioned societal values and practices and uniquely define their own success standards in career and family roles. (Author/CM)

In response to Heppner, Witty, and Dixon's rigorous review of 20 years of research on problem-solving appraisal, our commentary emphasizes the hygiological focus of the work and the value of this research to the field of counseling psychology. Furthermore, we hope to increase the effect of positive problem-solving appraisal by outlining a portion…

Reviews research on the effects of educational programs on the subjective well-being of older adults. Describes the constructs of happiness, morale, and life satisfaction by specifying their location on temporal, cognitive, and affective dimensions. Recommends outcome measures and research designs for assessing and upgrading educational…

Within the military community there has been a growing concern for diminishing retention of active duty members, which has been directly related to dissatisfaction with military life by spouses and family members. The need for new services and programs attending to family issues was recognized and efforts were begun to develop such services. The…

Blacks scored consistently lower than whites on measures of psychological well-being and quality of life, and the differences remained constant for the period 1972 to 1985. Therefore race remains a significant determinant of psychological well-being and quality of life. Interpretations of these findings are offered. (Author/PS)

Describes educational, economic, and other social factors combining to fill the life of a Black American man with a disproportionate share of pressures and obstacles. Argues that guidance from older Black men is crucial for young Blacks who must prepare for a lifelong struggle. Provides statistics on marital status and occupational distribution.…

Consists of six articles dealing with the need to have both a personal and a professional life and ways to do so. Topics include burnout, overcoming workaholism, ways to balance roles, the administrator's view, and the two-career family. (CH)

This report discusses the ability of public libraries to address the problems of older Americans, particularly older women, and to make their lives more satisfying. A review of facts and figures about the older population is followed by a discussion of programs and responses to the needs of older Americans by libraries and other agencies, such as…