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Adaptive Changes in the Self-Concept During a Life Transition
Kristen C Kling1, Carol D Ryff1, Marilyn J Essex1
1University of Wisconsin at Madison.
Personality & Social Psychology Bulletin
|March 7, 2018
Summary
Aging women adapted to relocation by adjusting the importance of life domains, enhancing well-being. They increased focus on well-performing areas like health and friendships, demonstrating adaptive self-concept changes.
Area of Science:
- Psychology
- Social Psychology
- Gerontology
Background:
- Self-concept theories propose that different self-aspects hold varying psychological centrality.
- Changes in psychological centrality are linked to psychological well-being.
- Community relocation presents a significant life event that can challenge the self-concept.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate how psychological centrality of self-concept domains changes following community relocation in aging women.
- To examine the association between these centrality shifts and psychological well-being.
- To test the hypothesis that adaptive centrality shifts (increasing importance in well-performing domains, decreasing in poorly performing ones) maximize well-being.
Main Methods:
- A sample of aging women experiencing community relocation was studied.
- The self-concept was assessed before and after the relocation.
- Five life domains (health, family, friends, economics, daily activities) were evaluated for psychological centrality and performance.
Main Results:
- Adaptive psychological centrality shifts were observed in the health and friends domains, correlating with improved well-being outcomes.
- The remaining domains (family, economics, daily activities) exhibited centrality shifts with varied patterns, suggesting problem-focused coping strategies.
- These findings support the dynamic nature of the self-concept in response to life changes.
Conclusions:
- Psychological centrality of self-concept domains can adaptively shift in response to major life events like relocation.
- Adjusting the importance of life domains, particularly those associated with positive functioning, is linked to enhanced psychological well-being in aging women.
- Observed shifts indicate both adaptive self-concept adjustments and problem-focused coping mechanisms in response to environmental changes.
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