scholarly journals Aging during COVID-19 in Germany: A Longitudinal Analysis of Psychosocial Adaptation and Attitudes Toward Aging

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Anna Schlomann ◽  
Mareike Bünning ◽  
Lena Hipp ◽  
Hans-Werner Wahl
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
Life Satisfaction ◽  
Online Survey ◽  
Age Groups ◽  
Psychosocial Adaptation ◽  
Partial Recovery ◽  
Theories Of Aging ◽  
Younger Age ◽  
The Social ◽  
Attitudes Toward Aging

Available theories of aging suggest that there may be similarities and differences in how COVID-19 impacts older peoples’ psychosocial adaptation compared to younger age groups, particularly mid-aged individuals. We analyzed data from 3,215 participants between 40 and 79 years gathered at three measurement occasions between the start of the nation-wide lock-down mid-March 2020 and its lifting early August 2020 in an online survey in Germany. The survey focused on everyday experiences during the COVID-19 crisis and collected various satisfaction ratings (e.g., general life satisfaction, satisfaction with family life, satisfaction with social contacts). Participants also provided retrospective satisfaction ratings for their situations before the COVID-19 crisis at baseline. For a small sub-sample of 29 participants (48–78 years), we explored how attitudes toward own aging (ATOA) measured prior to the crisis may have played a role in satisfaction ratings during the crisis. Both mid-aged and older participants experienced the greatest decreases in satisfaction in the social domain, with more pronounced decreases seen in mid-aged participants. We also observed a partial recovery effect in all measures at T3, and this effect was more pronounced in older adults. More negative ATOA prior to the crisis was associated with lowered psychosocial adaptation. Although ageism arose during the pandemic in the sense that older adults were labeled as a “risk group” particularly at the outbreak, we found in accordance with other studies that mid-aged adults’ satisfaction decreased to a greater extent than older adults’. Beginning evidence supports that attitudes toward aging were relevant for adaptation.

scholarly journals Aging during COVID-19 in Germany: a longitudinal analysis of psychosocial adaptation

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Anna Schlomann ◽  
Mareike Bünning ◽  
Lena Hipp ◽  
Hans-Werner Wahl
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
Life Satisfaction ◽  
Online Survey ◽  
Continuous Variable ◽  
Psychosocial Adaptation ◽  
Partial Recovery ◽  
Older Individuals ◽  
Middle Aged ◽  
Social Contacts ◽  
General Life Satisfaction

AbstractExisting theories of aging suggest that there may be similarities and differences in how COVID-19 impacts older people’s psychosocial adaptation compared to younger age groups, particularly middle-aged individuals. To assess the degree to which these impacts vary, we analyzed data from 3098 participants between the ages of 40 and 79 from an online survey in Germany. Data were collected at three measurement occasions between the start of the nationwide lockdown in mid-March 2020 and the end of the lockdown in early August 2020. The survey focused on everyday experiences during the COVID-19 crisis and collected various satisfaction ratings (e.g., general life satisfaction, satisfaction with family life, satisfaction with social contacts). At baseline, participants also provided retrospective ratings of satisfaction for the period before the COVID-19 crisis. In our analyses, we compared satisfaction ratings of middle-aged (40–64 years) and older individuals (65–79 years) and found that both middle-aged and older participants experienced the greatest decreases in satisfaction with social contacts, with more pronounced decreases seen in middle-aged participants. A similar pattern was observed for general life satisfaction, but the overall decreases were less pronounced in both groups compared to the decreases in satisfaction with social contacts. We also observed a partial recovery effect in all measures at the last measurement occasion, and this effect was more pronounced in older adults. Findings were also confirmed using age as a continuous variable and checking for linear and nonlinear effects of outcomes across the age range. Although ageism arose during the pandemic in the sense that older adults were labeled as a “risk group,” particularly at the start of the outbreak, we found consistently with other studies that middle-aged adults’ satisfaction decreased to a greater extent than that of older adults.

scholarly journals Life satisfaction and frailty among older adults

2013 ◽  
Vol 1 (3) ◽  
pp. 32 ◽  
Author(s):  
Katarina Wilhelmson ◽  
Emelie Fritzell ◽  
Kajsa Eklund ◽  
Synneve Dahlin-Ivanoff
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
Life Satisfaction ◽  
Psychological Health ◽  
Satisfaction With Life ◽  
Age Groups ◽  
Sexual Life ◽  
Partner Relationship ◽  
Frailty Status ◽  
Younger Age ◽  
Perceived Life Satisfaction

Functional and physical impairment are factors believed to lead to declined life satisfaction among older adults. This study aimed to examine life satisfaction among older adults and the influence of frailty. Baseline data from two studies addressing frail older adults aged 80+ in Gothenburg, Sweden, (n=577) were used. Frailty was measured through eight indicators. Life satisfaction was measured with Fugl-Meyer’s instrument LiSat-11. Perceived life satisfaction was rather high within the studied population, with 66% being satisfied with life as a whole. Most life satisfaction items were significantly associated with frailty status, with non-frail participants being satisfied to a higher extent for all items with the exception of financial situation, sexual life and partnership relation. The factors significantly explaining life satisfaction were psychological health, partner relationship, leisure and ADL. This study shows that older adults’ satisfaction with life as a whole is almost as high as in younger age groups. Respondents with higher degree of frailty reported significantly lower degrees of life satisfaction, indicating a possibility to maintain life satisfaction by preventing or delaying the development of frailty.

scholarly journals Age-Cohort Differences in Longitudinal Associations Between the Rate of Internet Use and Memory Functioning

2020 ◽  
Vol 4 (Supplement_1) ◽  
pp. 410-410
Author(s):  
Vineet Raichur ◽  
Lindsay Ryan ◽  
Richard Gonzalez ◽  
Jacqui Smith
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
Episodic Memory ◽  
Cognitive Complexity ◽  
Internet Use ◽  
Age Groups ◽  
Word Recall ◽  
Use Patterns ◽  
Younger Age ◽  
Rate Of Increase ◽  
Over Time

Abstract Cross-sectional analyses of internet use patterns among older adults find that the rate of internet use is less with greater physical and memory difficulties. It is not clear, however, how age-cohorts differ in their internet use as physical and memory difficulties increase over time. In addition to factors such as increasing accessibility (cost) and social influences, the expansion and cognitive complexity of functions performed by the internet-enabled devices over time could influence internet use patterns. In this study, we investigate how the association between internet use and episodic memory difficulties over time varies between cohorts. We analyzed longitudinal data from the Health and Retirement Study (N = 15,703 in 2002; Aged 51 and older) between years 2002-2016 using mixed effects logistic regression models. Immediate and delayed word recall measures were used to assess episodic memory. Rate of internet use in the sample increased from 30% in 2002 to 53% in 2016. Rate of internet use among younger age groups was significantly higher in the baseline year. Younger age groups also showed a significantly higher rate of increase in internet use over time. In general, internet use decreased with episodic memory impairment. In addition to these effects, the effect of episodic memory on the rate of increase in internet use over time is lower in younger cohorts. These results indicate that younger cohorts of older adults are more likely to maintain internet use as they continue to age and therefore could better utilize technology for communication, social interactions and health interventions.

scholarly journals Housing Transitions and Recovery of Older Adults Following Hurricane Sandy

2018 ◽  
Vol 74 (6) ◽  
pp. 1041-1052 ◽  
Author(s):  
Alexis A Merdjanoff ◽  
Rachael Piltch-Loeb ◽  
Sarah Friedman ◽  
David M Abramson
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
Age Groups ◽  
Family Health ◽  
Hurricane Sandy ◽  
Younger Adults ◽  
Younger Age ◽  
Observational Cohort ◽  
Emergency Housing ◽  
Young Old ◽  
Post Disaster

Abstract Objectives This study explores the effects of social and environmental disruption on emergency housing transitions among older adults following Hurricane Sandy. It is based upon the Sandy Child and Family Health (S-CAFH) Study, an observational cohort of 1,000 randomly sampled New Jersey residents living in the nine counties most affected by Sandy. Methods This analysis examines the post-Sandy housing transitions and recovery of the young-old (55–64), mid-old (65–74), and old-old (75+) compared with younger adults (19–54). We consider length of displacement, number of places stayed after Sandy, the housing host (i.e., family only, friends only, or multi-host), and self-reported recovery. Results Among all age groups, the old-old (75+) reported the highest rates of housing damage and were more likely to stay in one place besides their home, as well as stay with family rather than by themselves after the storm. Despite this disruption, the old-old were most likely to have recovered from Hurricane Sandy. Discussion Findings suggest that the old-old were more resilient to Hurricane Sandy than younger age groups. Understanding the unique post-disaster housing needs of older adults can help identify critical points of intervention for their post-disaster recovery.

scholarly journals WHY DON’T OLDER ADULTS USE SENIOR CENTERS? EVIDENCE FROM A SAMPLE OF MASSACHUSETTS ADULTS AGE 50 AND OLDER

2019 ◽  
Vol 3 (Supplement_1) ◽  
pp. S498-S498
Author(s):  
Ceara Somerville ◽  
Nidya Velasco Roldan ◽  
Cindy N Bui ◽  
Caitlin E Coyle
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
Age Groups ◽  
Community Dwelling ◽  
Senior Center ◽  
Community Resource ◽  
Senior Centers ◽  
Data Set ◽  
Younger Age ◽  
And Gender ◽  
Vast Range

Abstract Senior centers are an integral community resource, providing programs and services intended to meet the vast range of needs and interests of older adults. There is a growing literature describing senior center participants and benefits to participation, but little is known about those who choose not to participate at a local senior center. This presentation uniquely characterizes non-users of senior centers, based on a sample of community-dwelling adults aged 50+ from seven communities in Massachusetts (N = 9,462). To date, this is the largest data set that describes senior center usage. Most of the sample were women (60%) and in the 60-69 age group (36%). More than three quarters of the sample do not use the local senior center (77%). The most common reasons for non-usage were lack of interest (27%) and not feeling old enough (26%). There are significant differences in reasons of non-usage among age groups and gender (p < .001). Younger age groups’ (50-69) most popular reasons for non-usage were not feeling old enough, not having time, inconvenient senior center hours, and not knowing what is offered. In contrast, older age groups (80+) more frequently reported having no interest or using programs elsewhere. Men were more likely to report not being interested and not being familiar with what is offered. Women were more likely to report not having time, inconvenient hours of programming, and using programs elsewhere. Based on results from this study, this presentation will outline implications for the future of senior centers and their programming.

scholarly journals Request Strategies in the American TV Series Full House

Lexicon ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 6 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Yemima Febriani ◽  
Sharifah Hanidar
Keyword(s):  
Social Distance ◽  
Family Members ◽  
Age Groups ◽  
The Other ◽  
Relative Power ◽  
Adult Age ◽  
Other Hand ◽  
Younger Age ◽  
The Social ◽  
Request Strategies

This research aims to analyze the request strategies used in an American TV Series entitled Full House season 7 episodes 1-12. The main characters are family members from three different age groups (adult, teenager, and children). This research attempts to see if there is any difference on the choice of request strategies used by the three age groups. Blum-Kulka and Olshtain’s (1984) theory on request directness level is used to classify the requests. Relative power and social distance are also studied to see how they influence the characters in making their requests. The results show that mood derivable is the most frequent strategy used by all age groups. Specifically, direct request is highly used by the adult age groups. On the other hand, indirect request is mostly used by the younger age groups. The results also show that all age groups tend to use direct strategy when the social distance is negative. However, when the social distance is positive, the choice of strategy depends on the authority of the speaker.

scholarly journals Aging Reduces EEG Markers of Recognition Despite Intact Performance: Implications for Forensic Memory Detection

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Robin Hellerstedt ◽  
Arianna Moccia ◽  
Chloe M. Brunskill ◽  
Howard Bowman ◽  
Zara M. Bergström
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
Temporal Variability ◽  
Brain Activity ◽  
Age Groups ◽  
Older Age ◽  
Practical Applications ◽  
Younger Age ◽  
Behavioural Performance ◽  
Older Populations

AbstractERP-based forensic memory detection is based on the logic that guilty suspects will hold incriminating knowledge about crimes they have committed, and therefore should show parietal ERP positivities related to recognition when presented with reminders of their crimes. We predicted that such forensic memory detection might however be inaccurate in older adults, because of changes to recognition-related brain activity that occurs with aging. We measured both ERPs and EEG oscillations associated with episodic old/new recognition and forensic memory detection in 30 younger (age < 30) and 30 older (age > 65) adults. EEG oscillations were included as a complementary measure which is less sensitive to temporal variability and component overlap than ERPs. In line with predictions, recognition-related parietal ERP positivities were significantly reduced in the older compared to younger group in both tasks, despite highly similar behavioural performance. We also observed ageing-related reductions in oscillatory markers of recognition in the forensic memory detection test, while the oscillatory effects associated with episodic recognition were similar across age groups. This pattern of results suggests that while both forensic memory detection and episodic recognition are accompanied by ageing-induced reductions in parietal ERP positivities, these reductions may be caused by non-overlapping mechanisms across the two tasks. Our findings suggest that EEG-based forensic memory detection tests are invalid in older populations, limiting their practical applications.

The Psychological Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Tourism

2021 ◽  
pp. 416-436
Author(s):  
Gülden Güvenç ◽  
Damla Til Öğüt
Keyword(s):  
Online Survey ◽  
Social Representations ◽  
Psychological Impact ◽  
Age Groups ◽  
Tourism Industry ◽  
Snowball Sampling ◽  
The Social ◽  
Decision Making Processes ◽  
Global Tourism ◽  
Psychology Perspective

The COVID-19 pandemic has led to an extensive deterioration of many industries including the global tourism industry. There has been a strong need for psychology-informed research on tourism that investigates the impact and implications of the pandemic. This chapter is based on a qualitative study that included 60 individuals, recruited through snowball sampling method, 10 females and 10 males from three age groups. Participants were sent an online survey, querying their feelings and thoughts regarding tourism during and after the pandemic, to investigate the psychosocial impact of the pandemic on the population's tourism-related representations, decisions, and emotions. The data was subjected to thematic analysis that would reflect the social representations of the participants and the effects of the pandemic on these representations. Findings were discussed from social and clinical psychology perspectives, particularly via Maslow's and Fiske's theories and the discursive psychology perspective that aim to unfold decision-making processes and motivation underlying human actions.

scholarly journals Enlisting Employees in Improving Payroll Tax Compliance: Evidence from Mexico

2020 ◽  
Vol 102 (5) ◽  
pp. 881-896
Author(s):  
Todd Kumler ◽  
Eric Verhoogen ◽  
Judith Frías
Keyword(s):  
Pension Reform ◽  
Age Groups ◽  
Tax Compliance ◽  
Household Survey ◽  
Payroll Tax ◽  
Younger Workers ◽  
Younger Age ◽  
The Social ◽  
Relative Decline ◽  
Pension Benefits

Comparing two sources of wage data in Mexico—firms' reports to the social security agency and individuals' responses to a household survey—we document extensive underreporting of wages by formal firms, with compliance better in larger firms. We also present evidence that the 1997 Mexican pension reform, which tied pension benefits more closely to reported wages for younger workers, led to a relative decline in underreporting for younger age groups. The results suggest that giving employees incentives and information to improve the accuracy of employer reports can be an effective way to improve payroll tax compliance.

scholarly journals Barriers and Motivators of Bicycling by Gender Among Older Adult Bicyclists in the Midwest

2019 ◽  
Vol 47 (1) ◽  
pp. 67-77 ◽  
Author(s):  
Amanda Grimes ◽  
Matthew Chrisman ◽  
Joseph Lightner
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
Environmental Factors ◽  
Online Survey ◽  
Ecological Model ◽  
The United States ◽  
Environmental Barriers ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
The Social ◽  
Personal Level ◽  
Barriers And Motivators

Introduction. Physical activity (PA), particularly low-impact activities like bicycling, can improve health in older adults. However, bicycling rates are lower in the Midwest than other regions in the United States. Therefore, it is important to identify unique social, personal, and environmental factors that inhibit or promote bicycling, and how these are associated with PA. The influences of these factors were explored using the social ecological model. Method. A cross-sectional online survey was developed using previously validated local and national bicycling questionnaires, then distributed to Midwestern bicyclists 50 years and older. Exploratory factor analysis was conducted to understand the influences of social, personal, and environmental barriers and promoters on bicycling patterns. All models were conducted separately by gender, and accounted for age, race, education, marital status, income, and employment. Results. Social promoters (B = 0.386, p = .002), such as having friends/family that bicycle were associated with greater PA. Personal promoters (B = −0.311, p = .006) such as needing to lose weight were associated with reduced PA. Environmental factors had no associations with PA. However, individual environmental components, such as number of vehicles on the roads, were significantly associated with PA for both males and females. Females reported more barriers than males. The overall model accounted for 16.1% of the total variance in PA levels. Conclusion. Interventions to promote PA via bicycling in older adults should focus on social factors, while also reducing personal-level factors for males. Interventions for females could focus on reducing specific personal, social, and environmental barriers.

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