Chapter 19: Socioemotional Development in Late Adulthood

Theories of socioemotional development

• Erikson’s integrity vs despair

• Activity theory

• Socioemotional selectivity theory

• Selective optimization with compensation theory

Erikson’s Integrity Versus Despair:

Reflecting on the past and either piecing together a positive review or concluding that one’s life has not been well spent

• Existential identity; a sense of integrity strong enough to withstand physical disintegration

Integrity

Retrospective glances and reminiscences will reveal a picture of a life well spent, and the older adult will be satisfied

Despair

Retrospective evaluations of the total worth of his or her life might be negative

Life Review

Looking back at one’s life experiences, evaluating them, interpreting them, and often reinterpreting them

Robert Butler’s view

There are chances for pain, anger, guilt, and grief, but there are also opportunities for resolution and celebration, for affirmation and hope, for reconciliation and personal growth

• Set in motion by anticipating death

• Can include sociocultural dimensions, interpersonal, relationship and personal dimensions

Aspect of life reviews

Identifying and reflecting on both positive and negative aspects of one’s experiences as a means of developing wisdom and self-understanding

• Examine one that person regretted doing (or not doing), a more accurate vision of the complexity of one’s life and possibly increased life satisfaction will be attained

Reminiscence therapy

Discussing past activities and experiences with another individual or group (photos, audio, videos) to have a positive outlook and enhances quality of life for older adults, including those with dementia

Activity theory

The more active and involved older adults are, the more likely they are to be satisfied with their lives

• They age more successfully and are happier than if they disengage from society

• Achieve greater life satisfaction if they continue their middle-adulthood roles into late adulthood

• Good physical and mental health foster active living, just as active living can enhance health

Socioemotional selectivity theory

Motivation changes as a function of time horizons

When time horizons are limited

There is a shift toward prioritizing emotional meaning and satisfaction

• Getting older is the increasingly limited time left in life

• The priority placed on meaning is associated with greater selectivity about social networks as adults grow older

It challenges the stereotype of smaller networks

 Stereotype: smaller networks of older adults are related to emotional despair

• It says that carefully chosen and meaningful social networks lead older adults to spend most of their time engaged in emotionally rewarding interactions with friends and family

• Refine their social networks so that available social partners satisfy their emotional needs.

Goals individuals are motivated to achieve

• Knowledge related

• Emotional related

Knowledge related

Starts relatively high in the early years of life, peaks in adolescence and early adulthood, declines in middle to late

Emotional related

High during infancy and early childhood, deciles from middle childhood to early adulthood then increases in middle to late

• When individuals are younger, people are more strongly motivated to pursue information, even at the cost of emotional satisfaction but as they grow old, they are motivated to spend more time pursuing emotional satisfaction

Older adults’ emotions

• Emotional experiences are more positive in the lives of older adults than in the lives of younger adult

• Focus less on negative events in their past than younger adults do

• React less strongly to negative circumstances, are better at ignoring irrelevant negative information, and remember more positive than negative information

• More even keel, with fewer highs and lows

• No age differences occurred for the “self” or “loved one” conditions, but when earning money for a charity, older adults significantly increased their walking but younger adults did not

Selective optimization with compensation theory

Successful aging depends on three main factors

• Selection

• Optimization

• Compensation

Selection

Based on the concept that older adults have a reduced capacity and loss of functioning, which require a reduction in performance in most life domains

Optimization

Possible to maintain performance in some areas through continued practice and the use of new technologies

Compensation

Life tasks require a level of capacity beyond the current level of the older adult’s performance potential

• Circumstances involving high mental or physical demands, such as when thinking about and memorizing new material quickly

Paul Baltes

Describe the life of the late Arthur Rubinstein to illustrate their theory: three factors were responsible for his ability to maintain his status as an admired concert pianist into old age

• Selection of domains and life priorities is an important aspect of development

SOC strategies

• Offers a conceptual framework about the ways that individuals can manage and adapt to losses

• By engaging in SOC strategies, older adults can continue to lead satisfying lives, although in a more restricted manner

Different types of aging

• Normal aging

• Pathological aging

• Successful aging

Normal aging

Their psychological functioning often peaks in early midlife, plateaus until the late fifties to early sixties, then modestly declines through the early eighties, although marked decline often occurs prior to death

Pathological aging

These individuals may have mild cognitive impairment in early old age, develop Alzheimer disease later, or have chronic disease that impairs their daily functioning

Successful aging

Characterizes individuals whose physical, cognitive, and socioemotional development is maintained longer than for most individuals and declines later than for most people

Effects of successful aging

With a proper diet, an active lifestyle, mental stimulation and flexibility, positive coping skills, good social relationships and support, and the absence of disease, many abilities can be maintained or in some cases even improved as we get older

How to successfully age

• Being active and socially engaged 

• Engage in challenging cognitive activities

• Be emotionally selective, optimize choices, compensate for losses

• Living circumstances, independence, good health, good death