Journals of Gerontology Series B: Psychological Sciences and Social Sciences
Objectives Previous literature has consistently shown a positive association between negative sel... more Objectives Previous literature has consistently shown a positive association between negative self-perception of aging and mortality in middle-aged and older adults. However, two questions remain unsolved: (a) whether such association holds among very old people (i.e., the fourth age) and (b) the potential mediators that could contribute to the positive association. This study sought to fill in the research gap by examining the association between self-perception of aging and mortality in a group of very old Chinese participants (i.e., aged over 78 years). Methods Four waves of data across a span of 8 years (2000–2008) were obtained from the Chinese Longitudinal Healthy Longevity Survey, which measured a total of 9,683 participants’ negative self-perception of aging, survival status, cognitive functioning, diet, as well as other demographic information. Results Latent growth models with survival analysis were conducted, and the results replicated previous findings indicating an asso...
Throughout adulthood, individuals follow personal timetables of deadlines that shape the course o... more Throughout adulthood, individuals follow personal timetables of deadlines that shape the course of aging. We examine 6-year-longitudinal data of perceived personal deadlines for starting with late-life preparation across adulthood. Findings are based on a sample of 518 adults between 18 and 88 years of age. Multilevel regression analyses were conducted to explore changes in personal deadlines for preparation in five domains (i.e., finances, end of life, housing, social connectedness, caregiving) in relation to calendar age, self-rated health, subjective position in life, and sociodemographic variables. Findings suggest that personal deadlines for starting preparatory activities differ depending on calendar age and domain of late-life preparation. Older adults as compared to younger adults are likely to report narrower deadlines for beginning with late-life preparation. Perceived deadlines for late-life preparation were furthermore found to be preponed and slightly dilated over time....
ZusammenfassungDer Beitrag diskutiert zwei unterschiedliche Konzepte, die sich auf die Freundscha... more ZusammenfassungDer Beitrag diskutiert zwei unterschiedliche Konzepte, die sich auf die Freundschaften von Männern und Frauen beziehen. Während Simmel und Tenbruck postulieren, daß Freundschaft eher Männersache sei, vermuten neuerdings Fischer/Oliker eine wesensmäßig bedingte höhere Freundschaftsneigung bei Frauen. Dagegen präsentiert der Beitrag Daten zu Freundschaften über 70jähriger Männer und Frauen aus der Berliner Altersstudie. Im Ergebnis zeigen sich keine wesentlichen geschlechtsspezifischen Unterschiede, und zwar weder hinsichtlich der strukturellen noch der funktionalen Aspekte von Freundschaft.
Http Dx Doi Org 10 1080 13607860600735820, Jan 18, 2007
Gender differences in social network characteristics are well documented in the literature. Socio... more Gender differences in social network characteristics are well documented in the literature. Socio-emotional selectivity theory emphasizes the importance of future time perception on selection of social partners whereas cultural studies stress the roles of Renqing (relationship orientation) on social interactions. This study examined the effects of future time perspective and adherence to Renqing on social network characteristics, and their associations with psychological well-being of 321 Chinese men and women, aged 28-91 years. Results showed that adherence to Renqing partially accounted for gender differences in the number of relatives, even after controlling for the effects of extraversion and structural factors. Moreover, women, but not men, with lower adherence to Renqing and more limited future time perspective were found to be happier when they had fewer close friends in their social networks.
Many people wish to remain in current residence for as long as possible. Nonetheless, they do thi... more Many people wish to remain in current residence for as long as possible. Nonetheless, they do think about their residential future. For older people the question of where to live must be considered with respect to age-related changes and continuity. So far only little research has been focused on the influence of the subjective perception of remaining lifetime until death on plans for the future, for example regarding relocation. This study investigated the influence of the subjective perception of time left to live on relocation planning and its timing in the further course of life. The data were obtained from a paper-pencil questionnaire including 2156 persons aged 50 years and older (average age 65.5 years, SD = 9.7 years, range 50-94 years, 51.1 % female) who were asked about their wishes and plans for the future, particularly about their relocation considerations and the subjective perception of remaining time until death. Approximately 39 % of the subjects considered relocation in the further course of life. Besides social demographics, current housing and the state of health, the subjective time left in life had a significant influence on the consideration of relocation and its timing in the further course of life. Persons who perceived their time horizon as limited considered relocation later in life (temporizing relocation planning) than persons who perceived themselves to have more time left in life. Their temporal occurrence of precautionary relocation planning is embedded earlier in the course of life. Thoughts about the residential future of older people should be considered not only in connection with the content of these wishes but also related to the future time perspective and the timing in the further course of life. This can be of assistance in consultation and decision-making situations.
Zusammenfassung. Die Gültigkeit altersvergleichender Querschnittanalysen in der Entwicklungspsych... more Zusammenfassung. Die Gültigkeit altersvergleichender Querschnittanalysen in der Entwicklungspsychologie kann nicht nur durch eine Konfundierung von Alters- und Kohortenunterschieden, sondern auch durch selektive und altersspezifische Teilnahmewahrscheinlichkeiten eingeschränkt sein. Von 1531 nach einem Zufallsverfahren aus dem Einwohnermelderegister gezogenen und anschließend kontaktierten jungen, mittelalten und alten Erwachsenen nahmen 1022 Personen (66.8%) an einem kurzen Telefoninterview und davon wiederum 480 (31.4 %) Personen an einer intensiven zwei- bis dreistündigen psychologischen Befragung teil. Eine logistische Regressionsanalyse ergab, dass die Teilnahmewahrscheinlichkeit um so größer war, je jünger, gebildeter, beruflich besser gestellt und zufriedener die Personen waren. Bei alten Erwachsenen, die am Telefoninterview teilnahmen, zeigte sich ein höherer Einfluss der generellen Zufriedenheit auf die Teilnahmebereitschaft als bei jungen Erwachsenen. Auf der Grundlage des Maximum-Likelihood-Verfahrens wurde gezeigt, dass Selektivitätseffekte auf einen höheren Stichprobenausfall bei alten Erwachsenen zurückführbar sind. Es wird diskutiert, inwiefern altersdifferentielle Stichprobenselektivität zu einer Unterschätzung möglicher Altersunterschiede führen kann.
Research has established the health benefits of psychological factors, including the way individu... more Research has established the health benefits of psychological factors, including the way individuals appraise outcomes. Although many studies confirm that appraising outcomes as controllable is adaptive for health, a paradoxical possibility is largely ignored: Perceived control may be detrimental under some conditions. Our premise was that appraising health as controllable but at the same time ascribing little value to it might signal a dysfunctional psychological mindset that fosters a mistaken sense of invincibility. During face-to-face interviews with a representative sample of older adults (age range = 72-99), we identified individuals with such a potentially maladaptive "invincible" mindset (high perceived control and low health value) and compared them to their counterparts on several outcomes. The findings were consistent with our hypotheses. The invincibles denied future risks, they lacked the activating emotion of fear, and they visited their physicians less often...
The International Journal of Aging and Human Development, Feb 1, 2001
Socioemotional selectivity theory contends that as people become increasingly aware of limitation... more Socioemotional selectivity theory contends that as people become increasingly aware of limitations on future time, they are increasingly motivated to be more selective in their choice of social partners, favoring emotionally meaningful relationships over peripheral ones. The theory hypothesizes that because age is negatively associated with time left in life, the social networks of older people contain fewer peripheral social partners than those of their younger counterparts. This study tested the hypothesis among African Americans and European Americans, two ethnic groups whose social structural resources differ. Findings confirm the hypothesis. Across a wide age range (18 to 94 years old) and among both ethnic groups, older people report as many emotionally close social partners but fewer peripheral social partners in their networks as compared to their younger counterparts. Moreover, a greater percentage of very close social partners in social networks is related to lower levels of happiness among the young age group, but not among the older age groups. Implications of findings for adaptive social functioning across the life span are discussed.
Journals of Gerontology Series B: Psychological Sciences and Social Sciences
Objectives Previous literature has consistently shown a positive association between negative sel... more Objectives Previous literature has consistently shown a positive association between negative self-perception of aging and mortality in middle-aged and older adults. However, two questions remain unsolved: (a) whether such association holds among very old people (i.e., the fourth age) and (b) the potential mediators that could contribute to the positive association. This study sought to fill in the research gap by examining the association between self-perception of aging and mortality in a group of very old Chinese participants (i.e., aged over 78 years). Methods Four waves of data across a span of 8 years (2000–2008) were obtained from the Chinese Longitudinal Healthy Longevity Survey, which measured a total of 9,683 participants’ negative self-perception of aging, survival status, cognitive functioning, diet, as well as other demographic information. Results Latent growth models with survival analysis were conducted, and the results replicated previous findings indicating an asso...
Throughout adulthood, individuals follow personal timetables of deadlines that shape the course o... more Throughout adulthood, individuals follow personal timetables of deadlines that shape the course of aging. We examine 6-year-longitudinal data of perceived personal deadlines for starting with late-life preparation across adulthood. Findings are based on a sample of 518 adults between 18 and 88 years of age. Multilevel regression analyses were conducted to explore changes in personal deadlines for preparation in five domains (i.e., finances, end of life, housing, social connectedness, caregiving) in relation to calendar age, self-rated health, subjective position in life, and sociodemographic variables. Findings suggest that personal deadlines for starting preparatory activities differ depending on calendar age and domain of late-life preparation. Older adults as compared to younger adults are likely to report narrower deadlines for beginning with late-life preparation. Perceived deadlines for late-life preparation were furthermore found to be preponed and slightly dilated over time....
ZusammenfassungDer Beitrag diskutiert zwei unterschiedliche Konzepte, die sich auf die Freundscha... more ZusammenfassungDer Beitrag diskutiert zwei unterschiedliche Konzepte, die sich auf die Freundschaften von Männern und Frauen beziehen. Während Simmel und Tenbruck postulieren, daß Freundschaft eher Männersache sei, vermuten neuerdings Fischer/Oliker eine wesensmäßig bedingte höhere Freundschaftsneigung bei Frauen. Dagegen präsentiert der Beitrag Daten zu Freundschaften über 70jähriger Männer und Frauen aus der Berliner Altersstudie. Im Ergebnis zeigen sich keine wesentlichen geschlechtsspezifischen Unterschiede, und zwar weder hinsichtlich der strukturellen noch der funktionalen Aspekte von Freundschaft.
Http Dx Doi Org 10 1080 13607860600735820, Jan 18, 2007
Gender differences in social network characteristics are well documented in the literature. Socio... more Gender differences in social network characteristics are well documented in the literature. Socio-emotional selectivity theory emphasizes the importance of future time perception on selection of social partners whereas cultural studies stress the roles of Renqing (relationship orientation) on social interactions. This study examined the effects of future time perspective and adherence to Renqing on social network characteristics, and their associations with psychological well-being of 321 Chinese men and women, aged 28-91 years. Results showed that adherence to Renqing partially accounted for gender differences in the number of relatives, even after controlling for the effects of extraversion and structural factors. Moreover, women, but not men, with lower adherence to Renqing and more limited future time perspective were found to be happier when they had fewer close friends in their social networks.
Many people wish to remain in current residence for as long as possible. Nonetheless, they do thi... more Many people wish to remain in current residence for as long as possible. Nonetheless, they do think about their residential future. For older people the question of where to live must be considered with respect to age-related changes and continuity. So far only little research has been focused on the influence of the subjective perception of remaining lifetime until death on plans for the future, for example regarding relocation. This study investigated the influence of the subjective perception of time left to live on relocation planning and its timing in the further course of life. The data were obtained from a paper-pencil questionnaire including 2156 persons aged 50 years and older (average age 65.5 years, SD = 9.7 years, range 50-94 years, 51.1 % female) who were asked about their wishes and plans for the future, particularly about their relocation considerations and the subjective perception of remaining time until death. Approximately 39 % of the subjects considered relocation in the further course of life. Besides social demographics, current housing and the state of health, the subjective time left in life had a significant influence on the consideration of relocation and its timing in the further course of life. Persons who perceived their time horizon as limited considered relocation later in life (temporizing relocation planning) than persons who perceived themselves to have more time left in life. Their temporal occurrence of precautionary relocation planning is embedded earlier in the course of life. Thoughts about the residential future of older people should be considered not only in connection with the content of these wishes but also related to the future time perspective and the timing in the further course of life. This can be of assistance in consultation and decision-making situations.
Zusammenfassung. Die Gültigkeit altersvergleichender Querschnittanalysen in der Entwicklungspsych... more Zusammenfassung. Die Gültigkeit altersvergleichender Querschnittanalysen in der Entwicklungspsychologie kann nicht nur durch eine Konfundierung von Alters- und Kohortenunterschieden, sondern auch durch selektive und altersspezifische Teilnahmewahrscheinlichkeiten eingeschränkt sein. Von 1531 nach einem Zufallsverfahren aus dem Einwohnermelderegister gezogenen und anschließend kontaktierten jungen, mittelalten und alten Erwachsenen nahmen 1022 Personen (66.8%) an einem kurzen Telefoninterview und davon wiederum 480 (31.4 %) Personen an einer intensiven zwei- bis dreistündigen psychologischen Befragung teil. Eine logistische Regressionsanalyse ergab, dass die Teilnahmewahrscheinlichkeit um so größer war, je jünger, gebildeter, beruflich besser gestellt und zufriedener die Personen waren. Bei alten Erwachsenen, die am Telefoninterview teilnahmen, zeigte sich ein höherer Einfluss der generellen Zufriedenheit auf die Teilnahmebereitschaft als bei jungen Erwachsenen. Auf der Grundlage des Maximum-Likelihood-Verfahrens wurde gezeigt, dass Selektivitätseffekte auf einen höheren Stichprobenausfall bei alten Erwachsenen zurückführbar sind. Es wird diskutiert, inwiefern altersdifferentielle Stichprobenselektivität zu einer Unterschätzung möglicher Altersunterschiede führen kann.
Research has established the health benefits of psychological factors, including the way individu... more Research has established the health benefits of psychological factors, including the way individuals appraise outcomes. Although many studies confirm that appraising outcomes as controllable is adaptive for health, a paradoxical possibility is largely ignored: Perceived control may be detrimental under some conditions. Our premise was that appraising health as controllable but at the same time ascribing little value to it might signal a dysfunctional psychological mindset that fosters a mistaken sense of invincibility. During face-to-face interviews with a representative sample of older adults (age range = 72-99), we identified individuals with such a potentially maladaptive "invincible" mindset (high perceived control and low health value) and compared them to their counterparts on several outcomes. The findings were consistent with our hypotheses. The invincibles denied future risks, they lacked the activating emotion of fear, and they visited their physicians less often...
The International Journal of Aging and Human Development, Feb 1, 2001
Socioemotional selectivity theory contends that as people become increasingly aware of limitation... more Socioemotional selectivity theory contends that as people become increasingly aware of limitations on future time, they are increasingly motivated to be more selective in their choice of social partners, favoring emotionally meaningful relationships over peripheral ones. The theory hypothesizes that because age is negatively associated with time left in life, the social networks of older people contain fewer peripheral social partners than those of their younger counterparts. This study tested the hypothesis among African Americans and European Americans, two ethnic groups whose social structural resources differ. Findings confirm the hypothesis. Across a wide age range (18 to 94 years old) and among both ethnic groups, older people report as many emotionally close social partners but fewer peripheral social partners in their networks as compared to their younger counterparts. Moreover, a greater percentage of very close social partners in social networks is related to lower levels of happiness among the young age group, but not among the older age groups. Implications of findings for adaptive social functioning across the life span are discussed.
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Papers by Frieder R Lang