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!