scholarly journals Managing conflicting goals through prioritization? The role of age and relative goal importance

PLoS ONE ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 16 (2) ◽  
pp. e0247047
Author(s):  
Alexandra M. Freund ◽  
Martin J. Tomasik
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
Age Groups ◽  
Goal Conflict ◽  
Middle Aged ◽  
Younger Adults ◽  
Online Study ◽  
Goal Importance ◽  
Short Time ◽  
Conflicting Goals

Three studies tested the role of prioritization in solving conflict between multiple goals in different age groups. Study 1 (N = 185 young, middle-aged, older adults) stressed the importance to solve two competing tasks equally well within a short time. Older adults prioritized more than younger adults. However, contrary to our expectations, prioritization led to higher perceived conflict, more negative affect, and less control. Study 2 (N = 117 younger and older adults) found that, using a more lenient instruction, deemphasizing the importance of performing equally well on both tasks, prioritization was no longer associated with perceived goal conflict. Study 3 (N = 721 young, middle-aged, older adults) was an online study using hypothetical scenarios. This study was run to substantiate the potential mechanism underlying the differences between Study 1 and 2 and supported the hypothesized effect of the instructional strictness of pursuing two goals. Thus, when encountering conflicting goals older adults prioritize more than younger adults, but prioritization might not be optimal for solving short-term goal conflict when both conflicting goals are equally important.

scholarly journals The Role of Delay of Care in Depression among US Middle-Aged and Older Adults during the COVID-19 Pandemic:: A Secondary Data Analysis (Preprint)

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yan Luo
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Older Adults ◽  
Dental Care ◽  
Age Groups ◽  
Binary Logistic Regression ◽  
Middle Aged ◽  
Delay Of Care ◽  
Middle Aged Adults ◽  
Univariate Analyses

BACKGROUND The depression level among US adults significantly increased during the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic and age disparity in depression during the pandemic were reported in recent studies. Delay or avoidance of medical care is one of the collateral damages caused by the COVID-19 pandemic and it can lead to increased morbidity and mortality. OBJECTIVE The present study aims to assess the prevalence of depression and delay of care among US middle-aged adults and older adults during the pandemic, as well as investigate the role of delay of care in depression among those two age groups. METHODS This cross-sectional study used the 2020 Health and Retirement Study (HRS) COVID-19 Project (Early, Version 1.0) data. Univariate analyses, bivariate analyses, and binary logistic regression were applied. US adults older than 46 years old were included. Depression was measured by Composite International Diagnostic Interview Short Form (CIDI-SF). Delay of care were measured by four items: delay of surgery, delay of seeing a doctor, delay of dental care, and delay of other care. Univariate analyses, bivariate analyses, and binary logistic regression were conducted. RESULTS More than half of participants were older than 65 years old (58.23%) and 274 participants (8.75%) had depression during the pandemic. Delay of dental care was positively associated with depression among both middle-aged adults (OR=2.05, 95%CI=1.04-4.03, P<0.05) and older adults (OR=3.08, 95%CI=1.07-8.87, P<0.05). Delay of surgery was positively associated with depression among older adults (OR=3.69, 95%CI=1.06-12.90, P<0.05). Self-reported pain was positively related to depression among both age groups. Middle-aged adults who reported higher education level (some college of above) or worse self-reported health had higher likelihood to have depression. While perceived more loneliness was positively associated with depression among older adults, financial difficulty was positively associated with depression among middle-aged adults. CONCLUSIONS This study found that depression among middle-aged and older adults during the pandemic was also prevalent. The study highlighted the collateral damage of the COVID-19 pandemic by identifying the effect of delay of surgery and dental care on depression during the pandemic. Although surgery and dental care cannot be delivered by telehealth, telehealth services can still be provided to address patients’ concern on delay of surgery and dental care. Moreover, the implementation of tele-mental health services is also needed to address mental health symptoms among US middle-aged and older adults during the pandemic. Future research that uses more comprehensive CLINICALTRIAL N/A

Age Differences in the Malleability of Attitudes toward Automated Shared Mobility

2021 ◽  
Vol 65 (1) ◽  
pp. 128-128
Author(s):  
Kathryn Baringer ◽  
Dustin J. Souders ◽  
Jeremy Lopez
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
Older Adult ◽  
Age Groups ◽  
Educational Video ◽  
Middle Aged ◽  
Automated Vehicles ◽  
Younger Adults ◽  
Difference Scores ◽  
Video Condition ◽  
Middle Aged Adults

Introduction: The use of shared automated vehicles (SAVs) should lead to several societal and individual benefits, including reduced greenhouse gas emissions, reduced traffic, and improved mobility for persons who cannot safely drive themselves. We define SAVs as on-demand, fully automated vehicles in which passengers are paired with other riders traveling along a similar route. Previous research has shown that younger adults are more likely to report using conventional ridesharing services and are more accepting of new technologies including automated vehicles (AVs). However, older adults, particularly those who may be close to retiring from driving, stand to greatly benefit from SAV services. In order for SAVs to deliver on their aforementioned benefits, they must be viewed favorably and utilized. We sought to investigate how short educational and/or experiential videos might impact younger, middle-aged, and older adult respondents’ anticipated acceptance and attitudes toward SAVs. Knowing what types of introductory experiences improve different age groups’ perceptions of SAVs will be beneficial for tailoring campaigns aiming to promote SAV usage. Methods: We deployed an online survey using the platform Prolific for middle-aged and older respondents, and our departmental participant pool for younger adults, collecting 585 total responses that resulted in 448 valid responses. Respondents answered questions regarding their demographic attributes, their ridesharing history, preconceptions of technology, as well as their anticipated acceptance attitudes towards SAVs as measured by the dimensions of the Automated Vehicle User Perception Survey (AVUPS). After this, respondents were randomly assigned to an intervention condition where they either watched 1) an educational video about how SAVs work and their potential benefits, 2) an experiential video showing a AV navigating traffic, 3) both the experiential and educational videos, or 4) a control video explaining how ridesharing works. Anticipated acceptance attitudes towards SAVs were measured again after this intervention and difference scores calculated to investigate the effect of the intervention conditions. Prolific respondents were paid at a rate of $9.50/hour and younger adults received course credit. Results: Controlling for preconceptions of technology and ridesharing experience, a MANOVA was run on the difference scores of the dimensions of the AVUPS (intention to use, trust/reliability, perceived usefulness (PU), perceived ease of use (PEOU), safety, control/driving-efficacy, cost, authority, media, and social influence). Both older and middle-aged adults expressed significantly greater increases in PEOU and PU of SAVs than younger adults. We also observed an interaction between age and condition for both PU and PEOU. For PU, older adults’ difference scores were found to be significantly greater than younger adults’ for the control video condition. With PEOU, older adults’ difference scores were significantly greater than both younger adults’ for the control video condition, and middle-aged adults had greater difference scores for the educational-only video condition than younger or older adults. Discussion: The increases in PU observed for older adults in the control condition suggests that educating them on how to use currently available ridesharing services might transfer to and/or highlight the benefits that automated ridesharing might provide. The PEOU interactions also suggest that middle-aged adults might respond more positively than younger or older adults to an educational introduction to SAVs. Conclusion: The positive findings pertaining to PU and PEOU show that exposure to information related to SAVs has a positive impact on these attitudes. PU’s and PEOU’s positive relationship to behavioral intentions (BI) in the Technology Acceptance Model, coupled with the findings from this study, bode well for higher fidelity interventions seeking to inform and/or give individuals experience with SAVs. Providing information on how currently available ridesharing services work helped our older adult respondents recognize the potential usefulness of SAVs. Knowing that different age groups may respond better to educational versus experiential interventions, for example middle-aged adults in this study responding more positively to the educational video condition than younger or older adults, may be useful for targeted promotional campaigns.

scholarly journals EXPLORING AGE, GENDER, AND RELATIONSHIP CLOSENESS DIFFERENCES IN RESPONSES TO IGNORED DISRESPECT

2019 ◽  
Vol 3 (Supplement_1) ◽  
pp. S305-S305
Author(s):  
Jenessa C Steele ◽  
Amanda Chappell ◽  
Rachel Scott
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
Young Adults ◽  
Age Differences ◽  
Negative Emotions ◽  
Age Groups ◽  
Emotional Responses ◽  
Younger Adults ◽  
Relationship Closeness ◽  
Close Condition

Abstract Emotional responses to disrespect tend to be negative (Hawkins, 2015). Little is known about how responses to disrespect vary across age groups and relationship closeness. It is unknown whether older adults have more emotional protection against disrespectful experiences, or are more deeply affected due to relationship closeness. Overall, we might expect that older adults react less negatively to disrespect compared to young adults, as they are more-skilled emotion regulators (Carstensen, 1991; English & Carstensen, 2014). We aimed to explore if, and under which circumstances, older adults are more or less sensitive to disrespect compared to younger adults. Three hundred participants responded to six scenarios illustrating ignored disrespect. Participants were randomly assigned to close or distant relationship disrespect scenarios. Relationship closeness was first determined by requesting participants identify a person in each layer of Kahn and Antonucci’s (1980) Social Convoy Model. Identified names were then automatically inserted into the six scenarios. Emotional responses and sensitivity to each scenario were recorded. Participants in the close condition reported more sensitivity to disrespect and negative emotions than participants in the distant condition. Females reported more sensitivity to disrespect and negative emotions than males. We did not find overwhelming support for age differences in responses to disrespect. A single scenario indicated younger participants more sensitive to disrespect than older participants. Findings suggest it is more hurtful to be disrespected by someone close to you and females may be more sensitive to disrespect than males. More research investigating the role of age in disrespect is needed.

scholarly journals YOUNG PEOPLE FEEL WISE, OLD PEOPLE FEEL ENERGETIC: COMPARING AGE STEREOTYPES AND SELF-EVALUATIONS ACROSS ADULTHOOD

2019 ◽  
Vol 3 (Supplement_1) ◽  
pp. S787-S787
Author(s):  
Anna E Kornadt ◽  
Catherine E Bowen ◽  
Svenja M Spuling ◽  
Maja Wiest
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
Young People ◽  
Age Groups ◽  
Frame Of Reference ◽  
Questionnaire Data ◽  
Old People ◽  
Younger Adults ◽  
Age Stereotypes ◽  
The Stability

Abstract Using questionnaire data from the MIDUS study (N=6.325) we examined the extent to which people in their late 20s, 40s, and 60s think that positive stereotypic “old” and “young” characteristics describe themselves, their age peers, and other age groups. A constellation of “old” characteristics (e.g., wise, caring, calm) was seen as more descriptive of older adults, while a constellation of “young” characteristics (e.g., healthy, energetic) was seen as more descriptive of younger adults. Self-evaluations were highly positive and largely consistent across age groups. Compared to their age peers, younger adults saw themselves as having as many positive “young” characteristics but more positive “old” characteristics whereas older adults saw themselves as having more positive “young” characteristics but fewer positive “old” characteristics. The results support the stability of the aging self despite the existence of age stereotypes and the role of negative age stereotypes as a frame of reference for making self-evaluations.

scholarly journals Event Centrality of Positive and Negative Autobiographical Memories in Older Adulthood

2021 ◽  
Vol 5 (Supplement_1) ◽  
pp. 712-712
Author(s):  
Justina Pociunaite ◽  
Tabea Wolf
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
Individual Differences ◽  
Life Experience ◽  
Age Groups ◽  
Openness To Experience ◽  
Middle Aged ◽  
Younger Adults ◽  
Age Related ◽  
Middle Aged Adults ◽  
Positive Memories

Abstract Centrality of an event (CE) is a characteristic denoting how important a life experience is to one’s identity. Usually, positive memories are more central than negative ones in the community samples. Nevertheless, there is emerging evidence showing substantial individual differences in how one perceives CE. Especially regarding age, one could expect pronounced differences due to age-related changes in personal goals. In this study, we investigated how older adults differ from young and middle-aged adults. Apart from age, we tested whether personality traits such as neuroticism and openness to experience influence the CE ratings among age groups. The sample comprised of 363 German participants, age ranging from 18 to 89 (M=49.57, SD=17.087), 67.2 % of the sample were women. Using multilevel analysis, we found the CE of positive memories to be higher in all age groups. The CE of positive events significantly differed for older adults compared to younger adults but not to the middle-aged group. With respect to personality, neuroticism had an impact only on the CE of negative memories in younger and middle-aged adults. For older adults, neither neuroticism, nor openness to experience had an impact on CE ratings. This shows that while older adults significantly differ from younger adults in the CE of positive memories, other individual differences characteristics do not have an impact on the way older adults perceive memories as central to their identity.

The quality of self, social, and directive memories

2013 ◽  
Vol 37 (5) ◽  
pp. 395-406 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nicole Alea ◽  
Mary Jane Arneaud ◽  
Sideeka Ali
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
Older Adult ◽  
Age Groups ◽  
Social Function ◽  
Autobiographical Memories ◽  
Middle Aged ◽  
Younger Adults ◽  
Directive Function ◽  
Middle Aged Adults

The quality of functional autobiographical memories was examined in young, middle-aged, and older adult Trinidadians ( N = 245). Participants wrote about an event that served a self, social, and directive function, and reported on the memory’s quality (e.g., significance, vividness, valence, etc.). Across age groups, directive memories were the most negative, and social function memories were the most positive. Social function memories were also talked about most. Compared to younger adults, older adults’ functional memories, regardless of the type of function, were positive and talked about often, and middle-aged adults’ memories were significant and vivid. The discussion encourages researchers to continue to simultaneously consider both why humans remember so much of their life, and what they remember when doing so.

Effectiveness of Self-Generated Cues in Younger and Older Adults: The Role of Retention Interval

1988 ◽  
Vol 26 (4) ◽  
pp. 241-248 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lars Bäckman ◽  
Timo Mäntylä
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
Retention Interval ◽  
Elderly People ◽  
Recall Test ◽  
Memory Performance ◽  
Age Groups ◽  
Younger Adults ◽  
Immediate Recall ◽  
High Level

Younger and older participants generated one or three properties to a set of forty nouns. Immediately after, one week after, or three weeks after this generation phase, the participants received an incidental recall test, in which they were cued with their self-generated properties, and requested to recall the nouns. Although the younger adults recalled more nouns than the older participants in all conditions, both age groups exhibited an extremely high level of immediate recall. In addition, younger and older adults did not differ with respect to the forgetting rate, and both age groups recalled more nouns when three, as compared to one, properties were provided as cues. It is suggested that cue effectiveness is optimized both for younger and older adults when the cues describing the information encoded are compatible and distinctive. Finally, it is emphasized that the individual's idiosyncratic knowledge may serve an important function in attempts at optimizing memory performance of elderly people.

Age norms for older adults among Koreans: perceptions and influencing factors

2013 ◽  
Vol 34 (8) ◽  
pp. 1335-1355 ◽  
Author(s):  
SOONDOOL CHUNG ◽  
YUNKYUNG JUNG
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
Older Adult ◽  
Age Groups ◽  
Later Life ◽  
Adult Group ◽  
Middle Aged ◽  
Younger Adults ◽  
Age Norms ◽  
The Social ◽  
Middle Aged Adults

ABSTRACTDespite rapid social change that has influenced the social status of older adults, expectations about their behaviour and whether such expectations differ across generations remain unexplored in Korea. Based on ageing theories of activity, disengagement and modernisation, this study investigated age norms among Koreans conceptualised as shared expectations of appropriate behaviours of older adults. Competing perspectives in intergenerational relations and prejudice toward older adults were examined to test if they influenced age norms and if such associations varied across different age groups. Data were analysed from a survey of 1,445 individuals aged 20 and above who resided in 16 administrative districts of Korea. Comparisons of age norms across age groups indicated that the older adult group (age 65+) held more restrictive attitudes about social participation and engagement in various behaviours in old age than the middle-aged adults (ages 45–64) and younger adults (ages 20–44). Respondents with more prejudice towards older adults tended to place more restrictions on the behaviour of older adults. A significant interaction indicated that respondents whose views were in line with a generational conflictive perspective, assessed as reporting more competitive perspectives between young and old people and being less supportive of intergenerational programmes, had a more restrictive view about older adults' behaviours among the middle-aged group but less restrictive attitudes in determining acceptable behaviour in later life among the older adult group.

The Role of Photographs in Face-to-Face Interactions involving Younger and Older Neurotypical Adults

2014 ◽  
Vol 23 (1) ◽  
pp. 55-59 ◽  
Author(s):  
Katlyn Engebretsen ◽  
Rachel Hartman ◽  
David Beukelman ◽  
Karen Hux
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
Nonverbal Communication ◽  
Preliminary Investigation ◽  
Age Groups ◽  
Communication Strategy ◽  
Younger Adults ◽  
Face To Face ◽  
Pointing Gestures ◽  
Pointing Gesture

The purpose of this preliminary investigation was to explore the role photographs play in communication interactions involving neurotypical adults. Participants included 10 people from 2 age groups: younger adults between 23 and 25 years of age and older adults between 61 and 74 years of age. Referencing photographs to support one-on-one conversations between an examiner and either a younger or older neurotypical adult speaker occurred approximately 20% of the time. Younger participants relied solely on nonverbal communication in the form of a pointing gesture to convey their intent less than 2% of the time, whereas older participants never relied solely on pointing gestures to convey intent. This suggests that typical speakers treat the referencing of photographs as a supplemental rather than primary communication strategy during face-to-face interactions.

scholarly journals CONSEQUENCES OF ECONOMIC HARDSHIP AND SELF-RATED HEALTH AMONG OLDER ADULTS

2019 ◽  
Vol 3 (Supplement_1) ◽  
pp. S124-S125
Author(s):  
Yang Li ◽  
Jan Mutchler
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
Age Groups ◽  
The United States ◽  
Economic Resources ◽  
Program Participation ◽  
Younger Adults ◽  
Self Rated Health ◽  
Excellent Health ◽  
Effect Of Age

Abstract Adequate economic resources ensure that older adults’ basic needs are met and facilitate a healthier lifestyle. Hardship signals unfulfilled needs experienced by individuals lacking adequate economic resources. Despite well-documented associations between indicators of hardship and self-rated health, little is known about whether hardship has the same impact on self-rated health across age groups. The purpose of this study was to investigate the association between hardship and self-rated health among older adults and determine whether this association differed by age. Employing data from the 2014 Survey of Income and Program Participation, we conducted logistic regression analysis to examine the association between hardship and self-rated health among adults age 55 and older in the United States, and the moderating effect of age on this relationship. Analyses were weighted using replicate weights provided by the survey. Indicators of hardship were dichotomized (1 = experienced hardship, 0 = no hardship). Analyses indicated that individuals who were unable to pay utility bills, unable to pay rent or mortgage, or who experienced food insecurity had lower odds of reporting good/very good/excellent health relative to those not experiencing these hardships. The association between hardship and self-rated health was shown to be less substantial among the oldest cohort (age 75 and older) relative to younger adults. Hardship is directly relevant to health outcomes as it represents the consequence of unfulfilled needs experienced by individuals lacking adequate economic resources. This study contributes to our understanding of the role of age in the association between hardship and self-rated health.

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