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Long-term effects of control and predictability-enhancing interventions: findings and ethical issues
Journal of Personality and Social Psychology
|November 1, 1978
Summary
Long-term study of control and predictability interventions in retirement homes found no lasting benefits. Participants who initially improved later declined, while others remained stable.
Area of Science:
- Gerontology
- Psychology
- Health Interventions
Background:
- Field experiments investigating control and predictability interventions are crucial for understanding aging populations.
- Previous research suggests potential short-term benefits of such interventions for retirement home residents.
Purpose of the Study:
- To assess the long-term health and psychological effects of control and predictability-enhancing interventions.
- To determine if initial benefits persist after the intervention period concludes.
Main Methods:
- Longitudinal study tracking retirement home residents post-intervention.
- Health and psychological status assessed at 24, 30, and 42 months after study termination.
- Comparison between groups that initially benefited and those that did not.
Main Results:
- No positive long-term effects were observed attributable to the interventions.
- Groups initially benefiting from interventions showed significant declines post-termination.
- Groups not benefiting from interventions remained stable over the follow-up period.
Conclusions:
- The interventions provided no sustained advantages for retirement home residents.
- Interventions may have created a dependency, leading to negative outcomes after withdrawal.
- Ethical considerations regarding the long-term impact of psychological interventions are highlighted.