scholarly journals Age Differences in Positive Event Appraisals during COVID-19: Evidence from a Daily Diary Study

2021 ◽  
Vol 5 (Supplement_1) ◽  
pp. 888-888
Author(s):  
Patrick Klaiber ◽  
Lydia Ong ◽  
Anita DeLongis ◽  
Nancy Sin
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
Age Differences ◽  
Adult Development ◽  
Personal Responsibility ◽  
Community Dwelling ◽  
Diary Study ◽  
Middle Aged ◽  
Positive Events ◽  
Daily Diary Study ◽  
Middle Aged Adults

Abstract Multiple studies suggest that community-dwelling older adults are psychologically resilient in the face of the COVID-19 pandemic. Notably, during the initial weeks of the COVID-19 outbreak, older age was associated with engaging in more daily positive events (Klaiber et al., 2021, Journal of Gerontology: Psychological Sciences). We followed up on these findings by exploring age differences in positive event appraisals during the COVID-19 pandemic. During the 7-day diary study conducted between March and August 2020, 1036 participants (mean age = 45.95, SD = 16.04, range = 18-91) reported their positive events in nightly surveys. If at least one positive event occurred, participants rated their appraisals of the event on the following dimensions: importance, calmness, happiness, gratitude, personal responsibility, and control. Older adults (60 years+) rated their positive events to be more personally important and felt more calm and happy during these events, compared to younger (18-39 years) and middle-aged adults (40-59 years). Furthermore, older adults felt more grateful during positive events compared to younger but not middle-aged adults. There were no age differences in feelings of control or personal responsibility for positive events. These findings highlight the importance of daily positive events for older adults during a time of major stress. In line with theories on adult development, daily positive event processes in older adults are characterized by valuing positive and meaningful social connections, as well as a greater degree of positive event-specific emotions such as feeling calm, happy, and grateful.

scholarly journals Seeing the past through rose-colored glasses? Age differences in recounting a difficult memory

2020 ◽  
Vol 4 (Supplement_1) ◽  
pp. 884-884
Author(s):  
Arya Jones ◽  
Stephanie Wilson ◽  
M Rosie Shrout ◽  
Janice Kiecolt-Glaser
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
Cognitive Processing ◽  
Age Differences ◽  
Positive Emotion ◽  
Negative Emotion ◽  
Cardiovascular Responses ◽  
Middle Aged ◽  
Personal Memory ◽  
The Past ◽  
Middle Aged Adults

Abstract According to socioemotional aging theories, people better regulate their emotions in older age by reframing stressors and focusing on the positive aspects of difficult experiences. However, empirical results have been mixed. To address this gap, we examined age differences in the language use and cardiovascular reactivity of 188 adults (mean age=56, range=40-86) who relived an upsetting memory from their past. Consistent with theory, results revealed that older adults used significantly fewer negative emotion words and, among the negative emotions, marginally fewer words of anger, to describe their upsetting memory. Notably, however, there were no age differences in the expression of positive emotion or sadness. Controlling for education and cognitive function, greater expression of anger was associated with heightened systolic blood pressure (SBP) reactivity among older adults, not middle-aged individuals. Despite their expression of less negative emotion, older adults’ heart rate variability (HRV) dipped lower during disclosure than did middle-aged adults’. However, among those who used more positive emotion, sadness, and/or cognitive processing words, older adults no longer showed lower HRV than middle-aged participants. Overall, these results provide some evidence of positivity bias among older adults even when asked to recount a distressing personal memory, although this trend was not consistent for the expression of sadness or positive emotion. Further, cardiovascular responses appear more clearly tied to older adults’ level of engagement and emotional focus compared to their middle-aged counterparts’.

scholarly journals Attitudes about Dementia in Different Stages of Adulthood

2021 ◽  
Vol 5 (Supplement_1) ◽  
pp. 604-604
Author(s):  
Melissa O'Connor ◽  
Megan Pedersen ◽  
Susan McFadden
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
Age Groups ◽  
Memory Loss ◽  
Community Dwelling ◽  
Factual Knowledge ◽  
Age Group ◽  
Middle Adulthood ◽  
Middle Aged ◽  
Positive Attitudes ◽  
Middle Aged Adults

Abstract Research on attitudes toward dementia has often focused on younger and older adults; few studies have also included the age groups of established and middle adulthood. The current study utilized data from community-dwelling adults aged 18-95 (n=567) residing in two Midwestern states. Participants were divided into four age groups: emerging/young adulthood (ages 18-29), established adulthood (ages 30-45), middle adulthood (ages 46-64), and older adulthood (age 65+). ANOVA models were used to examine age group differences on the following outcomes: factual knowledge about dementia (total score on 14 true-false questions); attitudes toward dementia (total score on the 20-item Dementia Attitudes Scale); and a single item, “I am afraid of losing my memory” (rated on a 5-point scale). The effect of age group was significant in all models (p<0.01 for all). Emerging/young adults had significantly more knowledge about dementia, but less positive attitudes toward dementia, relative to established, middle-aged, and older adults. Attitudes and knowledge did not differ between established, middle-aged, and older adults. By contrast, older adults reported significantly more fear of memory loss than emerging/young, established, and middle-aged adults; fear did not differ between the latter three age groups. There were no significant interactions between age group and sex in any of the models. Implications of these findings are discussed.

Clinical characteristics of older male military veterans seeking treatment for erectile dysfunction

2010 ◽  
Vol 23 (1) ◽  
pp. 155-160 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sherry A. Beaudreau ◽  
Tiffany Rideaux ◽  
Robert A. Zeiss
Keyword(s):  
Risk Factors ◽  
Older Adults ◽  
Erectile Dysfunction ◽  
Sexual Dysfunction ◽  
Age Differences ◽  
Military Veterans ◽  
Treatment Recommendations ◽  
Middle Aged ◽  
Middle Aged Adults ◽  
Middle Aged Male

ABSTRACTBackground: Male sexual dysfunction is a significant international public health issue affecting both middle-aged and older adults. To date, however, no studies have compared age differences in psychiatric issues, frequency of sexual activity and treatment recommendations between older and middle-aged male military Veterans seeking treatment for erectile dysfunction (ED) in the U.S.A.Methods: Data were collected between 1982 and 2003 at the Palo Alto Veterans Affairs Andrology Clinic. The 1,250 participants, aged 22 to 87 years (median = 63), completed a semi-structured interview. Using multiple linear regressions, we examined age differences in five domains: medical and endocrine risk factors; psychiatric and psychosocial risk factors; frequency of sexual behaviors; self-reported and objectively measured erectile function; and treatment recommendations.Results: Compared with middle-aged adults, older adults were more likely to present for ED treatment with medical risk factors and were more often recommended a vacuum pump treatment. Middle-aged male Veterans were more likely to experience psychiatric risk factors for ED and were more sexually active than older Veterans. Despite greater objective erectile ability in middle-aged adults, there were no age differences in maximum self-reported erectile functioning.Conclusions: These results provide some evidence of age-related characteristics and treatment needs of male patients seeking treatment for sexual dysfunction. We encourage health care professionals working with adults across the lifespan to consider ways to individualize psychoeducation and brief psychotherapy for the treatment of ED to the specific needs of the patient, which may vary between middle-aged and older cohorts of patients.

scholarly journals Effect of Age on the Touchscreen Manipulation Ability of Community-Dwelling Adults

2021 ◽  
Vol 18 (4) ◽  
pp. 2094
Author(s):  
Michal Elboim-Gabyzon ◽  
Patrice L. Weiss ◽  
Alexandra Danial-Saad
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
Assessment Tool ◽  
Low Cost ◽  
Age Groups ◽  
Community Dwelling ◽  
Older Individuals ◽  
Middle Aged ◽  
Usability Assessment ◽  
System Usability Scale ◽  
Middle Aged Adults

Assessment of touchscreen manipulation skills is essential for determining the abilities of older individuals and the extent to which they may benefit from this technology as a means to enhance participation, self-esteem, and quality of life. The aim of this study was to compare the touchscreen manipulation ability between community-dwelling older adults and middle-aged adults using a newly developed Touchscreen Assessment Tool (TATOO) and to determine the usability of this instrument. Convenience samples of two age groups were considered, one including 28 independent community-living older adults aged 81.9 ± 4.2 years with intact or corrected vision and with the abilities to walk independently with or without a walking aid and to understand and follow simple commands, and the other including 25 healthy middle-age adults aged 53.4 ± 5.9 years. The usability assessment was conducted during a single session using the System Usability Scale (SUS). Older adults demonstrated poorer touchscreen skills compared to middle-aged adults. Previous experience in manipulating a smartphone by the older adults did not affect their performance. The SUS results indicated good usability of the TATOO by both age groups. The TATOO shows promise as a user-friendly tool for assessing the specific skills needed to operate touchscreens. The outcomes of this study support the suitability of touchscreen devices and applications as well as the need for adapted accessibility for older adults. Researchers and clinicians will benefit from the availability of a rapid, low-cost, and objective tool to assess the skills required for touchscreen use.

scholarly journals PERCEPTIONS OF PERPETRATORS OF AGEISM

2019 ◽  
Vol 3 (Supplement_1) ◽  
pp. S79-S79
Author(s):  
Alison L Chasteen ◽  
Michelle Horhota ◽  
Jessica Crumley-Branyon
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
Young Adults ◽  
Age Differences ◽  
Age Group ◽  
Older Woman ◽  
Middle Aged ◽  
Time Interaction ◽  
Different Types ◽  
Middle Aged Adults ◽  
Main Effects

Abstract What are the consequences for perpetrators who engage in different types of ageism? We compared young (n=316), middle-aged (n=464), and older adults’ (n=273) perceptions of a perpetrator who engaged in an ageist action. Participants read a vignette about a pedestrian (the perpetrator) offering unwanted help to an older woman crossing the street. We manipulated the ageism type (benevolent or hostile), the reaction of the older target (acceptance, moderate confrontation or strong confrontation) and assessed the overall impression of the perpetrator. Main effects emerged for Ageism Type and Age Group. Overall, participants rated the perpetrator more positively in the benevolent condition compared to the hostile condition. Middle-aged and older adults rated the perpetrator more positively than young adults did. A Time x Confront interaction suggested that the perpetrator’s overall impression was not impacted when the target of the ageist act accepted the action or moderately confronted the perpetrator. In contrast, when the target confronted the perpetrator strongly, the overall impression of the perpetrator decreased. An Ageism Type x Age Group x Time interaction on overall impression also emerged. There were no age differences when the perpetrator committed a hostile act of ageism. In contrast, in the benevolent condition young and older adults perceived the perpetrator more negatively after the target’s reaction, whereas middle-aged adults did not adjust their impression. Taken together, these results suggest that young and older adults may be less accepting of benevolent ageism compared to middle-aged adults.

Constructing Success and Failure: Age Differences in Perceptions and Explanations of Success and Failure

1993 ◽  
Vol 37 (2) ◽  
pp. 105-118 ◽  
Author(s):  
Thomas O. Blank ◽  
Maurice J. Levesque
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
Young Adults ◽  
Age Differences ◽  
Middle Aged ◽  
External Causes ◽  
Middle Aged Adults ◽  
Successes And Failures

Age differences in attributions for self-reported successes and failures in both important and daily situations were examined. Sixty-one young adults ( M age = 19.2), twenty-one middle-aged adults ( M age = 45), and fifteen older adults ( M age = 71.4) gave attributions and affects for self-chosen situations, which were classified as social or nonsocial. The attributions and affects were coded according to Blank's scheme with attributions dichotomized into internal and external, and stable and unstable [1]. Middle-aged and older adults were more likely than young adults to attribute failure to external causes and to describe more social than nonsocial situations. Consistent age differences in attributional stability were not found nor were there age differences in attributional internality for success outcomes.

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