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…

Developed scale to assess routinization (tendency to maintain daily events of one's life in relatively unchanging and orderly pattern of regularity) among older adults. Findings from over 200 older adults revealed 2 underlying factors: Having Order and Routine in daily living and Disliking Disruption. Evidence was found for validity of the 20-item…

Compared older adults who volunteered to work for community organization at office or in adult day care center on social-psychological and demographic predictors. Found that day care center volunteers were higher than office volunteers on sympathy whereas office volunteers were higher than day care center volunteers on educational attainment,…

Surveys older adults (N=242) to determine the relationship between self esteem and identity processing styles of identity assimilation, accommodation, and a balance between consistency seeking and identity change. Identity assimilation and balance predicted increases in self esteem; identity accommodation predicted decreases. No interaction…

A contextual age construct was developed and examined as transactional, life-position index of aging. The findings reflect the weak validity of chronological age as a unidimensional indicator of life-position and well-being. (Author/BL)

Social and Psychological frameworks used to explain adaptation are examined. Findings from a study of three ethnic groups (Irish, Italian, and Polish Americans), aged 40 to 80, are presented to test the effects of life stage, social surround, and personality on adaptation. (Author)

Studied the nature of diurnal mood variations in 173 persons aged 13 to 82. Results indicated adolescents and young adults tended to report better moods toward evening while middle-aged and elderly persons reported better moods in the morning. Limited findings suggest the opposite trends for depressed psychiatric patients (Author/JA)

Use of the oral history technique in clinical medicine supplies significant additional data that illuminate the psychological, social, and spiritual background of healthy or ailing aging patients. Describes some practical applications of oral history techniques in clinical medical practice and discusses their usefulness for gerontological…

Examined relationships between agitated behavior and past personality in 408 nursing home residents. Agitated and nonaggressive behaviors were correlated with past stressful events, and physically aggressive behavior was correlated with the lack thereof; no relationships were found between agitated behavior and history of a mental disorder or past…

This study examined the relationship between three midlife transitions and depressive symptoms among 952 women 50 to 59 years of age. Using longitudinal data from women interviewed for the 1992 and 2000 Health and Retirement Study, the study described changes in marital status, change to a parental caregiving role, and changes in perceived health…

Describes the correlates of life satisfaction and desired control among 79 elderly residents by assessing residents at three points in time. Both life satisfaction and desired control were intercorrelated and related to other indices of psychological well-being at all three points in time. (Author/RC)

Presents utilization rates as well as the results of psychiatric tests on older and younger populations of psychiatric patients and addicts in Iran. Data showed that the elderly proportionately use psychiatric and drug abuse services much less frequently than the younger population. (Author/RC)

Examined background and personality characteristics associated with low and high self-esteem in the elderly by studying 250 men and women age 65 and older. Results indicated the low self-esteem group had poorer self-reported health, higher scores on depression, anxiety, somatization, and a more external locus of control orientation. (Author)

Investigated effects of recent life events, psychological adjustment, and social support on lymphocyte count among 192 older adults. For males, recent sexual dysfunction lowered lymphocyte count, whereas psychological adjustment and percentage kin in intimate network elevated it. For females, family or legal problems elevated count as did frequent…

Used data from Aging in the Eighties national survey to examine impact of health rating and life satisfaction as well as other socio-psychological characteristics on voting turnout among elderly Caucasian and African Americans. For Caucasians, self-assessment of health was significantly related to voting behavior; whereas among African Americans,…