Post on 03-Jan-2016
Chapter 16Socioemotional Development in Late Adulthood
Erikson’s Final Stage • Integrity versus despair -- reflecting on the past and either
piecing together a positive view (integrity) or concluding that one’s life has not been well spent (despair)
• Life review is an essential piece of this final stage• Life review -- looking back at one’s life experiences, evaluating
them, interpreting and reinterpreting their significance
Activity Theory• Activity theory -- the more active and involved that older
adults are, the more likely they are to be satisfied with their lives
• Successful aging is associated with being active, energetic, and productive
• Good experience with aging relates to continuing early adult roles or finding substitutes that keep them active and involved
Socioemotional Selectivity Theory• Socioemotional selectivity theory -- older adults become more
selective about their social networks• Spend more time with familiar individuals with whom they
have rewarding relationships• Challenges the stereotype that older adults are in emotional
despair and isolation
Selective Optimization with Compensation Theory• Selective optimization with compensation theory -- successful
aging is linked with three main factors: selection, optimization, and compensation• selection -- older adults have a reduced capacity and loss of
functioning• optimization -- it is possible to maintain performance in some
areas through practice and use of new technologies
Selective Optimization with Compensation Theory
• compensation -- becomes relevant when life tasks require a level of capacity beyond the current circumstances
• Effective when people pursue successful outcomes
Stereotyping of Older Adults• Ageism -- prejudice against others because of their age• Increased numbers living longer and healthier serve to debunk
the stereotypes• Policy Issues -- health care costs, caring for patients with
chronic disease, eldercare
Emotional and Social Development• Psychological well-being• Control vs. Dependency
• How much is too much?
• Self-efficacy
Emotional and Social Development• The frail elderly• Who cares for the elderly?• Who’s responsibility is it?• Differences across cultures?
Eldercare• Eldercare -- physical and emotional caretaking of older members
of the family• Traditionally done by middle-aged women in the family• With so many women in the workforce, concern arises
regarding who will be the caregivers
Lifestyle Diversity• Lifestyles of older adults are changing• Married older adults are happier and live longer than those who
are single• There are social, financial, and physical consequences of divorce
for older adults• Divorce weakens kinship ties• Negative social sanctions for elders who remarry
Cohabitation• Increasing numbers• Goals are primarily for companionship• Not marrying allows for retention of personal assets
Older Adult Parents and Their Adult Children• Adult children are an important part of the social network• Gender plays an important role -- adult daughters are more
likely to be involved than adult sons• Adult children coordinate and monitor services
Friendship• People choose close friends over new friends as they grow
older• Friends are associated with contentment• Friends may be more important than family in predicting
mental health
Social Convoy Model• Social convoy model -- individuals go through life embedded
in a social network of individuals from whom they give and receive social support
• Social support enhances coping skills• Being lonely and socially isolated is a significant health risk
Altruism and Volunteerism• Older adults “give” more frequently than they “take”• Volunteering as an older adult is associated with a number of
positive outcomes • higher satisfaction• less depression and anxiety
Ethnicity• Minority elderly are over-represented among the poor• Double jeopardy -- they face both ageism and racism• History of less education, underemployment, poor housing
conditions, shorter life expectancy than Whites• Strong coping mechanisms (e.g., church membership, family
support for elders)
Gender• Elders -- more pronounced in males than females -- become
more androgynous• Double jeopardy for older women who face ageism and
sexism• Poverty increased for elderly females• Minority females face triple jeopardy -- ageism, sexism, and
racism
Culture• These factors predict status of older adults in a culture• Have valuable knowledge• Control key family/community resources• Permitted to engage in useful functions• Role changes involve more responsibility and authority• Participation in extended family• Respect for older adults may be greater
Emotional and Social Development• Successful aging• Why are regular activity and learning opportunities vital for the
elderly?• How can nursing homes/retirement homes preserve an elder’s
identity, sense of place, and social relationships?• What do you think is the most important factor for successful
aging among the elderly?
Successful Aging• Even with disease, improvements in medicine mean older
adults can still lead active constructive lives• Being active is especially important• Success involves perceived control of the environment (self-
efficacy)
•The Cycle of Life!