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Published on: February 14, 2014
[Life satisfaction in 28 intellectually gifted persons aged 65 and over]
A Bessou1, J Tyrrell, J L Bosson
1Département de médecine communautaire, Centre hospitalier universitaire de Grenoble, Centre de prévention des Alpes, Grenoble. annick.bessou@wanadoo.fr
Presse Medicale (Paris, France : 1983)
|July 15, 2003
Summary
Intellectually gifted elderly individuals report higher life satisfaction than their non-gifted peers. This study highlights the well-being of high-IQ seniors in France.
Area of Science:
- Gerontology
- Psychology
- Cognitive Science
Background:
- Intellectually gifted elderly individuals are an understudied population in France.
- Over 200,000 individuals over 65 in France may be intellectually gifted.
Purpose of the Study:
- To assess the life satisfaction of intellectually gifted elderly people in France.
- To compare the life satisfaction of gifted elderly individuals with the general elderly population.
Main Methods:
- Study involved 28 members of the Mensa Association (IQ ≥ 132), aged 65-86.
- Life satisfaction was measured using the Neugarten Scale.
- Results were compared to 394 participants from the reference lcare study.
Main Results:
- Gifted elderly individuals demonstrated significantly higher life satisfaction across past, present, and future.
- The Neugarten index confirmed high life satisfaction in this specific group.
Conclusions:
- Intellectually gifted elderly people exhibit greater life satisfaction.
- Limitations include sample size and recruitment bias; further research is warranted.
- This study provides valuable insights into the aging of intellectually gifted individuals.
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