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Intimacy motivation and psychosocial adjustment: a longitudinal study
1Department of Psychology, Loyola University of Chicago, IL 60626, USA.
Journal of Personality Assessment
|December 1, 1982
Summary
High intimacy motivation in middle-aged men is linked to better long-term psychosocial adjustment. This study highlights the importance of social connection for overall well-being and successful aging.
Area of Science:
- Psychology
- Social Sciences
- Adult Development Studies
Background:
- Understanding the long-term impact of social motives on adult psychosocial adjustment is crucial.
- The Grant Study provides valuable longitudinal data on men's lives from middle age onwards.
Purpose of the Study:
- To examine the relationship between social motives (achievement, power, affiliation, intimacy) and psychosocial adjustment in middle-aged men.
- To identify which social motives predict better long-term adjustment.
Main Methods:
- Longitudinal analysis of data from 57 middle-aged men in the Grant Study.
- Thematic Apperception Test (TAT) used to score social motives in 1950-52.
- Psychosocial adjustment assessed using nine indices (income, career, marital satisfaction, health, etc.) from 1950-1967.
Main Results:
- High intimacy motivation at age 30 was significantly associated with better psychosocial adjustment 17 years later.
- Other social motives (achievement, power, affiliation) did not show significant associations with long-term adjustment.
Conclusions:
- Intimacy motivation appears to be a key factor in promoting sustained psychosocial adaptation throughout adulthood.
- Findings contribute to theories of psychosocial development and the importance of social connection for well-being.
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