Enright and colleagues (1996) emphasized the beneficial effect of experiencing forgiveness across multiple domains. We build upon their conceptualization of forgiveness by adding a domain--forgiveness by God--to create global forgiveness. In the current study, we use data from a nationally representative study, the Religion, Aging and Health…

As aging is occurring at a rate never before seen in South Korea, the present study examines the predictors of mental health in a nationally representative sample of older adults (n = 4,155), drawn from Wave I of the Korean Longitudinal Study on Aging. Findings show that sociodemographic factors, chronic health conditions, level of cognition, and…

This study investigated predictors of grandparent satisfaction. Participants were 149 non-custodial grandparents (100 grandmothers, 49 grandfathers) aged up to 80 years. They completed grandparent satisfaction, meaning, and generativity scales, and indicated levels of weekly childcare contact with grandchildren. As expected, increasing levels of…

The literature on successful aging reveals a wide range of definitions, generally reflecting the academic discipline of the investigator. Biomedical models primarily emphasise physical and mental functioning as successful aging; socio-psychological models emphasise social functioning, life satisfaction and psychological resources as successful…

The analysis compared differing correlates of life satisfaction among three diverse population groups in Israel, examining background and health status variables, social environment factors, and activity indicators. Multiple regression analysis revealed that veteran Jewish-Israelis (n = 2,043) had the largest set of predictors, the strongest of…

Used path analysis to test race, socioeconomic status (SES), and two intervening variables (self-assessed health status and problems experienced) on two attributes of life satisfaction (happiness and morale). Most effects of race and SES were mediated by self-assessed health status and problems experienced; these two intervening variables were the…

This study developed a dispositional path model of life satisfaction for community dwelling Chinese elderly living in Hong Kong. A sample of 117 elderly completed scales measuring life satisfaction, optimism, self-esteem, relationship harmony, self-construals, and perceived/expected health and financial status. Modeling revealed that life…

Reexamined the NORC Happiness Scale based on a survey of 1400 urban and nonurban elderly. Results indicated a high proportion of urban elderly were bored, depressed, and lonely as well as proud, excited, and interested. Their apparent inconsistent feeling states may result from a general feeling of deprivation. (Author)

Interviewed 92 elderly residents of area targeted for massive redevelopment. Findings revealed that each health, control, and support emerged as independent predictors of affect and life satisfaction, and that affect was significantly lower for those with no close support figure than for those with one close relationship. (Author/NB)

Positive psychology has recently developed a classification of human strengths (Peterson & Seligman, in press). We aimed to evaluate these strengths by investigating the strengths and life satisfaction in three adult samples recruited from the community (young adult, middle-aged, and older adult), as well as in the surviving men of the Grant study…