Gerontological autism: terms of accountability in the cultural study of the category of the Fourth Age

2011 ◽  
Vol 31 (7) ◽  
pp. 1125-1140 ◽  
Author(s):  
HAIM HAZAN
Keyword(s):  
Longitudinal Study ◽  
Cultural Study ◽  
Old Age ◽  
Oldest Old ◽  
Social Processes ◽  
Very Old ◽  
Unique Position ◽  
The Social ◽  
Epistemological Challenge ◽  
Conceptual Articulation

ABSTRACTThis paper poses an epistemological challenge to students and researchers of old age. It argues that people in deep old age are a testimony to the failure to generate a language by which to comprehend extra-cultural phenomena, which aborts a meaningful dialogue between researchers and subjects. The arguments put forward are based on an analysis of the unique position of the very old as an ultimate, unconstructable ‘other’, as they appear in the relevant anthropological discourse, and maintains that cultural standing of that category is anchored in a symbolic and existential space that prevents communication with its inhabitants. The social processes that lead to this state of absent translation and a deadlock of interpretation are analysed by using examples a longitudinal study of the oldest old conducted by the Herczeg Institute on Aging in Israel. An alternative option for a new conceptual articulation of ways of understanding ageing is proposed; one that is free of conventional but ineffectual paradigms.

IC-P-100: Cross-Sectional and Longitudinal Study of Age-Related Shrinkage in the Superior,Middle and Inferior Frontal Gyrus in Old and Very Old Age

2010 ◽  
Vol 6 ◽  
pp. S40-S40
Author(s):  
Olof E. Lindberg ◽  
Carl-Henrik Ehrenkrona ◽  
Linnea Engström ◽  
Leif A. Svensson ◽  
Eva Öhrndahl ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Longitudinal Study ◽  
Old Age ◽  
Inferior Frontal Gyrus ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Very Old ◽  
Age Related ◽  
Very Old Age

Can we be friends with Mitsuku? A longitudinal study on the process of relationship formation between humans and a social chatbot

2020 ◽  
Vol 38 (1) ◽  
pp. 279-300
Author(s):  
Emmelyn A. J. Croes ◽  
Marjolijn L. Antheunis
Keyword(s):  
Longitudinal Study ◽  
Social Processes ◽  
Communication Research ◽  
Relationship Formation ◽  
Social Attraction ◽  
Self Disclosure ◽  
Abcde Model ◽  
The Social ◽  
Machine Communication ◽  
The Relationship

This explorative study investigated (a) whether social attraction, self-disclosure, interaction quality, intimacy, empathy and communicative competence play a role in getting-acquainted interactions between humans and a chatbot, and (b) whether humans can build a relationship with a chatbot. Although human-machine communication research suggests that humans can develop feelings for computers, this does not automatically imply that humans experience feelings of friendship with a chatbot. In this longitudinal study, 118 participants had seven interactions with chatbot Mitsuku over a 3-week period. After each interaction participants filled out a questionnaire. The results showed that the social processes decreased after each interaction and feelings of friendship were low. In line with the ABCDE model of relationship development, the social processes that aid relationship continuation decrease, leading to deterioration of the relationship. Furthermore, a novelty effect was at play after the first interaction, after which the chatbot became predictable and the interactions less enjoyable.

Walking Up to One Hour Per Week Maintains Mobility as Older Women Age: Findings from an Australian Longitudinal Study

2017 ◽  
Vol 25 (2) ◽  
pp. 269-276 ◽  
Author(s):  
Bonnie Field ◽  
Tom Cochrane ◽  
Rachel Davey ◽  
Yohannes Kinfu
Keyword(s):  
Longitudinal Study ◽  
Longitudinal Data ◽  
Older Women ◽  
Old Age ◽  
Very Old ◽  
Australian Longitudinal Study ◽  
Data Analyses ◽  
Very Old Age ◽  
Mobility Aid

The aim of this study was to identify determinants of walking and whether walking maintained mobility among women as they transition from their mid-70s to their late 80s. We used 12 years of follow-up data (baseline 1999) from the Australian Longitudinal Study on Women’s Health (n = 10,322). Fifteen determinants of walking were included in the analysis and three indicators of mobility. Longitudinal data analyses techniques were employed. Thirteen of the 15 determinants were significant predictors of walking. Women in their mid-70s who walked up to 1 hr per week were less likely to experience loss of mobility in very old age, including reduced likelihood of using a mobility aid. Hence, older women who do no walking should be encouraged to walk to maintain their mobility and their independence as they age, particularly women in their 70s and 80s who smoke, are overweight, have arthritis, or who have had a recent fall.

Bereavement in Very Old Age: Impact on Health and Relationships of the Loss of a Spouse, a Child, a Sibling, or a Close Friend

2010 ◽  
Vol 60 (4) ◽  
pp. 301-325 ◽  
Author(s):  
Christian J. Lalive d'Epinay ◽  
Stefano Cavalli ◽  
Luc A. Guillet
Keyword(s):  
Depressive Symptoms ◽  
Functional Status ◽  
Old Age ◽  
Oldest Old ◽  
Great Majority ◽  
Close Friend ◽  
Short Term ◽  
Very Old ◽  
Very Old Age

This article deals with the following two questions: In very old age, which are the main sources of bereavement? And what are the consequences of such losses on health and on relationships? The findings are based on the complete set of data compiled in the course of the Swiss Interdisciplinary Longitudinal Study on the Oldest Old (SWILSOO), which provided a 10-year follow-up of a first cohort (1994–2004) and a 5-year follow-up of a second (1999–2004). The data revealed that, in very old age, the great majority of the dear ones who died were either siblings or close friends. Taken as a whole, the bereaved suffered a marked and lasting increase in depressive symptoms, together with a short-term deterioration in their functional status; those bereft of a spouse or a child saw their functional status worsen and exhibited enduring depressive symptoms but they also benefited from support in the form of increased interaction; those bereft of siblings only suffered from a mild, short-term deterioration in functional status; those who had lost a close friend suffered a very significant increase in depressive symptoms. In the medium term, most of these effects disappeared, lending weight to the claim that the survivors manage to cope with the misfortunes of life.

Preclinical Symptoms of Major Depression in Very Old Age: A Prospective Longitudinal Study

1998 ◽  
Vol 155 (8) ◽  
pp. 1039-1043 ◽  
Author(s):  
Anna-Karin Berger ◽  
Brent J. Small ◽  
Yvonne Forsell ◽  
Bengt Winblad ◽  
Lars Bäckman
Keyword(s):  
Longitudinal Study ◽  
Major Depression ◽  
Old Age ◽  
Prospective Longitudinal Study ◽  
Very Old ◽  
Very Old Age ◽  
Prospective Longitudinal

An Introduction to Generalized Estimating Equations and an Application to Assess Selectivity Effects in a Longitudinal Study on Very Old Individuals

2004 ◽  
Vol 29 (4) ◽  
pp. 421-437 ◽  
Author(s):  
Paolo Ghisletta ◽  
Dario Spini
Keyword(s):  
Social Sciences ◽  
Longitudinal Study ◽  
Generalized Estimating Equations ◽  
Oldest Old ◽  
Estimating Equations ◽  
Correlated Data ◽  
Regression Coefficients ◽  
Unbiased Estimation ◽  
The Social ◽  
Generalized Estimating

Correlated data are very common in the social sciences. Most common applications include longitudinal and hierarchically organized (or clustered) data. Generalized estimating equations (GEE) are a convenient and general approach to the analysis of several kinds of correlated data. The main advantage of GEE resides in the unbiased estimation of population-averaged regression coefficients despite possible misspecification of the correlation structure. This article aims to provide a concise, nonstatistical introduction to GEE. To illustrate the method, an analysis of selectivity effects in the Swiss Interdisciplinary Longitudinal Study on the Oldest Old is presented.

scholarly journals Associations of Wellbeing Levels, Changes, and Within-Person Variability With Late-Life All-Cause Mortality Across 12 Years: Contrasting Hedonic vs. Eudaimonic Wellbeing Among Very Old Adults

2022 ◽  
Vol 12 ◽  
Author(s):  
Oliver Karl Schilling ◽  
Markus Wettstein ◽  
Hans-Werner Wahl
Keyword(s):  
Old Age ◽  
Structural Equation ◽  
Structural Equation Models ◽  
Oldest Old ◽  
Residual Lifetime ◽  
Very Old ◽  
Old Adults ◽  
All Cause Mortality ◽  
Mortality Predictors ◽  
Eudaimonic Wellbeing

Advanced old age has been characterized as a biologically highly vulnerable life phase. Biological, morbidity-, and cognitive impairment-related factors play an important role as mortality predictors among very old adults. However, it is largely unknown whether previous findings confirming the role of different wellbeing domains for mortality translate to survival among the oldest-old individuals. Moreover, the distinction established in the wellbeing literature between hedonic and eudaimonic wellbeing as well as the consideration of within-person variability of potentially relevant mortality predictors has not sufficiently been addressed in prior mortality research. In this study, we examined a broad set of hedonic and eudaimonic wellbeing indicators, including their levels, their changes, as well as their within-person variability, as predictors of all-cause mortality in a sample of very old individuals. We used data from the LateLine study, a 7-year longitudinal study based on a sample of n = 124 individuals who were living alone and who were aged 87–97 years (M = 90.6, SD = 2.9) at baseline. Study participants provided up to 16 measurement occasions (mean number of measurement occasions per individual = 5.50, SD = 4.79) between 2009 and 2016. Dates of death were available for 118 individuals (95.2%) who had deceased between 2009 and 2021. We ran longitudinal multilevel structural equation models and specified between-person level differences, within-person long-term linear change trends, as well as the “detrended” within-person variability in three indicators of hedonic (i.e., life satisfaction and positive and negative affect) and four indicators of eudaimonic wellbeing (i.e., purpose in life, autonomy, environmental mastery, and self-acceptance) as all-cause mortality predictors. Controlling for age, gender, education, and physical condition and testing our sets of hedonic and eudaimonic indictors separately in terms of their mortality impact, solely one eudaimonic wellbeing indicator, namely, autonomy, showed significant effects on survival. Surprisingly, autonomy appeared “paradoxically” related with mortality, with high individual levels and intraindividual highly stable perceptions of autonomy being associated with a shorter residual lifetime. Thus, it seems plausible that accepting dependency and changing perceptions of autonomy over time in accordance with objectively remaining capabilities might become adaptive for survival in very old age.

How are Temporal and Social Comparisons Related to Appraisals of Self-Rated Health During Very Old Age?

2007 ◽  
Vol 66 (2) ◽  
pp. 79-89 ◽  
Author(s):  
Dario Spini ◽  
Alain Clémence ◽  
Paolo Ghisletta
Keyword(s):  
Old Age ◽  
Oldest Old ◽  
Time Lag ◽  
Social Comparisons ◽  
Relative Importance ◽  
Very Old ◽  
Self Rated Health ◽  
Direction Of Effects ◽  
Very Old Age ◽  
Positive Effect

This study investigated the direction of effects of temporal and downward social comparisons on self-rated health in very old age. Conversely, self-rated health can either reinforce or hinder comparison processes. In the framework of the Swiss Interdisciplinary Longitudinal Study on the Oldest Old, individuals aged 80 to 84 at baseline were interviewed and followed longitudinally for 5 years. Multilevel analyses were used to test the relative importance of temporal and social comparisons on self-rated health evaluations synchronically and diachronically (with a time lag of 12 to 18 months) as well as the direction of these relative influences. Results indicate that (a) at the synchronic level, continuity temporal comparisons have more impact than downward social comparisons on self-rated health; (b) both types of comparison had an independent and positive effect on self-rated health at the diachronic level; (c) self-rated health has an independent synchronic effect on both types of comparison and an independent diachronic effect in temporal comparison.

scholarly journals The Role of Social Isolation and the Development of Depression. A Comparison of the Widowed and Married Oldest Old in Germany

2021 ◽  
Vol 18 (13) ◽  
pp. 6986
Author(s):  
Franziska Förster ◽  
Melanie Luppa ◽  
Alexander Pabst ◽  
Kathrin Heser ◽  
Luca Kleineidam ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Social Network ◽  
Depressive Symptoms ◽  
Old Age ◽  
Social Isolation ◽  
Mixed Models ◽  
Oldest Old ◽  
The Social ◽  
The Impact

Widowhood is common in old age, can be accompanied by serious health consequences and is often linked to substantial changes in social network. Little is known about the impact of social isolation on the development of depressive symptoms over time taking widowhood into account. We provide results from the follow-up 5 to follow-up 9 from the longitudinal study AgeCoDe and its follow-up study AgeQualiDe. Depression was measured with GDS-15 and social isolation was assessed using the Lubben Social Network Scale (LSNS-6). The group was aligned of married and widowed people in old age and education through entropy balancing. Linear mixed models were used to examine the frequency of occurrence of depressive symptoms for widowed and married elderly people depending on the risk of social isolation. Our study shows that widowhood alone does not lead to an increased occurrence of depressive symptoms. However, “widowed oldest old”, who are also at risk of social isolation, have significantly more depressive symptoms than those without risk. In the group of “married oldest old”, women have significantly more depressive symptoms than men, but isolated and non-isolated do not differ. Especially for people who have lost a spouse, the social network changes significantly and increases the risk for social isolation. This represents a risk factor for the occurrence of depressive symptoms.

scholarly journals The shift from old age to very old age: an analysis of the perception of aging among older people

2022 ◽  
Vol 23 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Emile Escourrou ◽  
Sarah Laurent ◽  
Jacques Leroux ◽  
Stéphane Oustric ◽  
Virginie Gardette
Keyword(s):  
Older People ◽  
Old Age ◽  
Oldest Old ◽  
Very Old ◽  
Individual Interviews ◽  
Life Trajectories ◽  
Loss Of Autonomy ◽  
Very Old Age ◽  
Near Future ◽  
Theoretical Saturation

Abstract Background The oldest-old (individuals over 90 years) are a fast-growing population. Understanding the perceptions of older people about very old age is the first step towards developing optimal geriatric care for an aging population. This study aimed to explore the potential shift from old age to very old age through the exploration of older people’s perception of aging. Methods Qualitative study conducted through individual interviews in the homes of older people. We voluntarily chose to include persons a decade under and above 90 years old to explore other factors than age that could participate in the shift from old age to very old age. The sampling was theoretical. We carried out the analyses using an inductive approach based on the phases of grounded theory. The researchers used triangulation. Collection was concluded when theoretical saturation was reached. Results Fourteen participants were interviewed. The shift from old age to very old age was not based on age but occurred when participants became conscious of the irreversibility of aging and its effects, and when they started living day-by-day, renouncing to any plan in a near future. The transition to very old age seemed to be preceded by a progressive disengagement from non-essentials activities. Participants reported a sensation of progressive social exclusion due to the loss of contemporaries or spouse, the difficulty to connect with younger generations or the absence of relationships in their neighborhood. The last step of life was feared, not because of the idea of death itself but because of the associated suffering and loss of autonomy. Conclusion Precipitating and slowing factors of the shift to very old age were identified to help general practitioners support older patients throughout their life trajectories.

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