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Interpreting the lack of future concerns among the elderly
International Journal of Aging & Human Development
|January 1, 1980
Summary
Elderly individuals showing less concern about future crises may feel more secure. This security, rather than threat avoidance, appears linked to lower anticipation, planning, and preparation (APP) for potential adversities.
Area of Science:
- Gerontology
- Psychology of Aging
- Sociology of Health
Background:
- Elderly individuals' lack of concern for future crises is debated: is it security or threat avoidance?
- Understanding this is crucial for targeted interventions and support.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the relationship between anticipation, planning, and preparation (APP) for future crises and elderly individuals' well-being.
- To differentiate between security and threat avoidance as explanations for low concern.
Main Methods:
- Correlational study involving 60 participants aged 70+.
- Measured APP (health, living arrangements, finances) against demographics, functional status, past experiences, emotional states, futurity, and social interactions.
Main Results:
- Low APP was associated with reduced anxiety, a greater sense of dominance and affiliation in social interactions, and higher expectations of others' responsibility.
- Findings support the security hypothesis: lower concern is linked to perceived security, not threat avoidance.
Conclusions:
- Concern with future adversities may be nonfunctional for some elderly individuals.
- This non-functionality might stem from perceived "event uncertainty" and "timing of event uncertainty," leading to preoccupation with unlikely events.