Empathic Accuracy: Helpful to Avoid Negative Affect in Old Age?

Abstract Past work suggests age-related declines in empathic accuracy and that these declines may put older people at risk for heightened stress reactivity and low affective well-being. We addressed these questions using data from the fourth wave of the Interdisciplinary Longitudinal Study of Aging (ILSE). To assess empathic accuracy, the young-old (N=115, Mage=63.4, SDage=1.13) and old-old (N=31, Mage=82.3, SDage=.87) participants of ILSE watched six film clips of individuals, who thought-aloud about an emotional autobiographical event, and were asked to rate each individual’s emotions. Subsequently, participants watched a film about Alzheimer’s disease and their subjective and cardiovascular stress reactions were assessed. Empathic accuracy was lower in old-old, as compared with young-old, individuals. Furthermore, empathic accuracy was only associated with low levels of stress reactivity among young-old but not old-old individuals. This suggests that empathic accuracy is not only compromised in very old age, but also appears to be of lower adaptive utility.

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The Complex Role of Discrete Emotions in Successful Aging

Innovation in Aging ◽

10.1093/geroni/igaa057.2137 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 4 (Supplement_1) ◽

pp. 626-626

Author(s):

Jeremy Hamm ◽

Carsten Wrosch

Keyword(s):

Successful Aging ◽

Positive Emotions ◽

Stress Reactivity ◽

Negative Emotions ◽

Well Being ◽

Empathic Accuracy ◽

Discrete Emotions ◽

Age Related ◽

Positive And Negative Emotions

Abstract Research shows that emotions play an important role in successful aging. However, previous studies have largely focused on the implications of dimensional indicators of emotion, such as positive and negative affect. This approach may fail to capture important distinctions between discrete emotions such as sadness, loneliness, calmness, and empathy that could become more or less adaptive with age. The present studies adopt a discrete emotion perspective to examine age-related changes in the consequences of different positive and negative emotions for successful aging. Drawing from an evolutionary-functionalist perspective, Haase, Wu, Verstaen, and Levenson investigate whether sadness becomes more salient and adaptive in old age using a multi-method approach. Lee, Lay, Mahmood, Graf, and Hoppmann address the seemingly contradictory consequences of loneliness by examining how state- and trait-loneliness interact to predict older adults’ prosocial behaviors. Hamm, Wrosch, Barlow, and Kunzmann use two studies to examine the diverging salience and 10-year health consequences of discrete positive emotions posited to motivate rest and recovery (calmness) or pursuit of novelty and stimulation (excitement). Barlow and Mauss study the co-occurrence of discrete emotions and their age-dependent associations with well-being using an adult lifespan sample. Finally, Wieck, Katzorreck, Gerstorf, Schilling, Lücke, and Kunzmann examine lifespan changes in the adaptive function of empathy by assessing the extent to which empathic accuracy protects against stress-reactivity as people age. This symposium thus integrates new research on the role of discrete positive and negative emotions and will contribute to a deeper understanding of the complex relationships between emotions and successful aging.

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PREPARATION FOR FUTURE IN OLD AGE: WHY AND WHY NOT?

Innovation in Aging ◽

10.1093/geroni/igz038.2748 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 3 (Supplement_1) ◽

pp. S749-S749

Author(s):

Helene H Fung

Keyword(s):

Older Adults ◽

Hong Kong ◽

Old Age ◽

Population Aging ◽

Well Being ◽

Future Research ◽

Age Related ◽

The Usa ◽

Older Chinese ◽

Using Data

Abstract With population aging, many people can expect to spend 30 or more years in old age. The five papers included in this symposium aim at shedding light on whether and how to make plans for old age, using data from the “Aging as Future” Project. First, Park and Hess used data spanning across adulthood from Germany, Hong Kong and the USA to examine how changes experienced in domains of functioning and the importance attached to these domains influenced preparations for old age. Next, de Paula Couto and Rothermund, examining Germans aged 40-90 years, pointed out that prescriptive age stereotypes might be the main drive for why people make preparations for age-related changes. The remaining three papers use qualitative data to qualify the above quantitative findings. Adamson and Ekerdt interviewed older Midwest US residents. They observed that SES greatly impacted how older adults perceived and made plans for their future. The final two papers examined how rural vs. urban contexts might affect preparations for future. Liou interviewed older adults in rural Tainan and found that their ideal old age was one about no future preparation, at least not about making plans for themselves (called “tranquil life”). Ho and colleagues, in contrast, found that for older Chinese residing in urban Hong Kong, not preparing for the future (called “time freeze”) was negatively related to physical and psychological well-being. The symposium will end with an overall discussion on future research directions on whether and how to make plans for old age.

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The Age and Well-Being Paradox Revisited: A Multidimensional Perspective

Innovation in Aging ◽

10.1093/geroni/igaa057.1485 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 4 (Supplement_1) ◽

pp. 459-459

Author(s):

Thomas Hansen

Keyword(s):

Old Age ◽

Emotional Regulation ◽

Fixed Effects ◽

General Pattern ◽

Well Being ◽

Older Age ◽

Men And Women ◽

Age Related ◽

Young Old ◽

Age Related Changes

Abstract Much gerontological research has focused on the paradoxical observation that older people, despite their lower objective quality of life, report higher well-being than younger people. High well-being in old age is believed to be caused by adaptation, emotional regulation, and accommodative strategies. We aim to add nuance by examining whether the “paradox” holds across dimensions of well-being; for men and women; in young old and old-old age; and before introducing statistical controls (e.g for health and social factors). Using fixed effects models and 15-years panel data from the Norwegian NorLAG study (n=2,700, age 40+), we explore age-related changes in cognitive, affective, and eudaimonic dimensions of wellbeing. Results indicate a general pattern of stability well into older age, but negative changes in advanced age, cross-sectionally and longitudinally, and for each well-being measure. Declines in well-being are less pronounced and with a later onset for the cognitive compared with the other measures. Results are similar for men and women. Loss of health and partner are the main causes of declining well-being in older age. Findings suggest qualifications to the “well-being paradox”, e.g.: some dimensions of well-being remain more stable than others; across dimensions of well-being change is more negative in old-old than in young-old age; and patterns of increasing well-being in older age are more pronounced after controlling for age-related changes in health and social roles. We argue that the use of controls makes for false impressions of the psychological changes that actually occur when people grow older.

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Basic Resources and Psychological Strengths as Predictors of Depressive Symptoms

Innovation in Aging ◽

10.1093/geroni/igab046.418 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 5 (Supplement_1) ◽

pp. 110-110

Author(s):

Charikleia Lampraki ◽

Daniela Jopp

Keyword(s):

Social Network ◽

Depressive Symptoms ◽

Old Age ◽

Meaning In Life ◽

Well Being ◽

Mediation Effect ◽

Very Old ◽

Age Related ◽

Very Old Age ◽

Psychological Strengths

Abstract Loss of personal resources is expected to have a negative effect on well-being in all ages, however, in very old age, this effect may be exacerbated. Centenarians, who are confronted with accumulated age-related losses, may be at higher risk of experiencing depressive symptoms. This study investigated the link between basic resources (i.e., health, social network) and depressive symptoms and whether it was mediated by psychological strengths (i.e., meaning, optimism) in 119 centenarians and near-centenarians (Mage = 99.7 years). Results indicated that meaning in life fully mediated the link between health and depressive symptoms, and the link between social network size and depressive symptoms. Similarly, optimism mediated the link between network and depression, but no mediation effect was found when considering health as basic resource. In sum, basic resources are only indirectly associated to depressive feelings, with psychological strengths playing an important intervening role in very old age.

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Individual values and spirituality and their meaning for affective well-being and engagement with life in very old age

Zeitschrift für Gerontologie und Geriatrie ◽

10.1007/s00391-021-01974-9 ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Marcella Reissmann ◽

Anna Storms ◽

Christiane Woopen

Keyword(s):

Old Age ◽

Short Form ◽

Well Being ◽

Linear Regression Models ◽

Old People ◽

Individual Values ◽

Very Old ◽

Age Related ◽

Broad Concept ◽

Very Old Age

Abstract Background Individuals’ ideals and aspirations are considered to constitute a central reference frame for subjective evaluations of their perceived reality, and, thus, to be crucial for individual quality of life (QoL) outcomes. By examining individual values and spirituality in very old people, the aim of this study was to describe two constructs representing the aspirations of the individual, as well as the relation of these constructs to both hedonic and eudaimonic QoL outcomes in very old age (VOA). Material and methods Cross-sectional data from a representative survey of people in VOA (NRW80+, n = 1863) were used. Individual values were assessed based on the Portrait Value Questionnaire. A revised questionnaire was developed drawing on the Spiritual Health and Life-Orientation Measure. Individual values and spirituality were studied using descriptive statistics, and hierarchical linear regression models were used to analyze their predictive value for two QoL outcomes: 1) affective well-being as an indicator of hedonic QoL, which was assessed using the positive affect subscale of the short form of the Positive and Negative Affect Schedule, and 2) engagement with life, which captures eudaimonic aspects and which was measured with a subscale of the Valuation of Life Scale. Results The most important values were both protection and growth-oriented values with a social focus. However, only values representing strivings for growth had a positive association with QoL outcomes. Spirituality was of high relevance to very old people, although not in the sense of religious institutions or practices. Rather, it predominantly consisted in environmental, interpersonal, and transcendental connectedness, all of which were positively connected to QoL outcomes. Conclusion Individual values and spirituality can be an important resource for hedonic as well as eudaimonic QoL; however, age-related losses may lead to an emphasis of protective values that are not beneficial in terms of QoL. To support older people on their spiritual journey, a broad concept of spirituality needs to be established among researchers as well as practitioners.

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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

Alzheimer s & Dementia ◽

10.1016/j.jalz.2010.05.114 ◽

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

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SOCIAL STRATIFICATION AND TRAJECTORIES OF LIVING ARRANGEMENTS AMONG OLDER AMERICANS

Innovation in Aging ◽

10.1093/geroni/igz038.1038 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 3 (Supplement_1) ◽

pp. S281-S281

Author(s):

Jersey Liang ◽

BoRin Kim ◽

Xiao Xu ◽

James Raymo ◽

Mary Beth Ofstedal ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Old Age ◽

Social Stratification ◽

Living Arrangements ◽

Well Being ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

Term Care ◽

Older Americans ◽

Rate Of Increase ◽

Race Ethnicity ◽

Young Old

Abstract Living arrangements are critical to intra-family exchanges that affect older persons’ health and well-being. The conventional conceptualization of living arrangements has emphasized coresidence with children, while overlooking proximate residence from children. Additionally, existing research often relied on cross-sectional data which confound intrapersonal differences with interpersonal variations. This study examined the dynamics of living arrangements in old age by depicting their trajectories as a function of social stratification (i.e., age, gender, race/ethnicity, education, income, and wealth). Data came from the Health and Retirement Study and included a national sample of 7,822 older Americans with at least one living child from 1998 to 2014. Multi-level mixed effects models were employed to analyze the trajectories of living arrangements and their key determinants for the young-old and the old-old separately. Among the young-old (age 65-74, N=4,917), the probability of coresidence increased slightly over time, whereas the probabilities of proximate residence and distant residence decreased slightly and remained stable respectively, and the risk for institutionalization increased moderately. Similar but more accelerated trajectories were observed among the old-old (age 75+, N=2,905). Age, gender, race/ethnicity, education, income, and asset were significantly associated with not only the levels of the probabilities of various living arrangements but also their slopes. For instance, among the old-old, Hispanics had a lower level of nursing home residence as well as a slower rate of increase in the risk of institutionalization than Whites. These findings may inform public policies to strengthen family-based support and long-term care for older people.

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RESOURCES IN OLD AND VERY OLD AGE: INTERACTIVE EFFECTS OF STATUS, LOSS AND GAIN ON WELL-BEING

Innovation in Aging ◽

10.1093/geroni/igy023.146 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 2 (suppl_1) ◽

pp. 39-40

Author(s):

F Oswald ◽

D S Jopp ◽

R Kasper ◽

F Wolf

Keyword(s):

Old Age ◽

Well Being ◽

Interactive Effects ◽

Very Old ◽

Very Old Age

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IS IT LONELY AT THE TOP? BIOPSYCHOSOCIAL VARIANTS OF LONELINESS AMONG CENTENARIANS

Innovation in Aging ◽

10.1093/geroni/igz038.148 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 3 (Supplement_1) ◽

pp. S38-S38

Author(s):

Alex J Bishop ◽

Oscar Riberio

Keyword(s):

Old Age ◽

Social Isolation ◽

Emotional Health ◽

Premature Death ◽

Well Being ◽

Health Impact ◽

Human Longevity ◽

Nutritional Health ◽

Very Old Age

Abstract There is a growing body of evidence supporting the detrimental impact of loneliness on biological, psychological, and social functioning. Loneliness has been cited to contribute to social isolation, mental health disorders, and premature death in old age. In turn, the prevention of loneliness has emerged as a priority area in geriatric and gerontology research, practice, and policy. However, determination of whether persons living 100 or more years feel lonely or socially disconnected has remained limited within centenarian research. Such research has historically fostered translation of insights and secrets for living long and aging well. Centenarians represent persons who have managed to survive, delay, or escape varying biopsychosocial losses that might otherwise deteriorate emotional health, exacerbate feelings of isolation, and limit human longevity potentials. Guided by a biopsychosocial framework, this symposium will consider biological, psychological, and social variants that contribute to risk as well as resilience in loneliness in very old age. Of particular interest is the advancement of evidence-based research exposing the interplay between loneliness and nutritional health, impact of lifelong childlessness on feelings of solitude, role of personality traits and the expression of loneliness, and the intersection between active religious engagement and loneliness. Biopsychosocial attributes that reduce the threat of social isolation and loneliness, as well as improve emotional well-being in human longevity will be further discussed. Implications relevant for geriatric counseling and wellness programming for old-old adults will be highlighted.

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