Anticipation of and adjustment to retirement

The role of anticipation of retirement was studied by comparing two samples under different conditions: in the West German sample, retirement could be anticipated as "normal" with regard to the economic changes in most industrial societies between 1992 and 1994, whereas the members of the East German sample were faced with mandatory retirement, with few changes in the anticipation of this event. Findings confirm the hypotheses regarding a more negative view of retirement, different ways of coping with retirement, and equal status of cognitive functioning and health. They did not confirm the hypothesis of a lower degree of well-being in the East.