Where people live and die makes a difference: Individual and geographic disparities in well-being progression at the end of life.

Life-span psychological research has long been interested in the contextual embeddedness of individual development. To examine whether and how regional variables relate to between-person disparities in the progression of late-life well-being, we applied three-level growth curve models to 24-year longitudinal data from deceased participants of the German Socio-Economic Panel Study (N = 3,427; age at death = 18 to 101 years). Results indicated steep declines in well-being with impending death, with some 8% of the between-person differences in both level and decline of well-being reflecting between-county differences. Exploratory analyses revealed that individuals living and dying in less affluent counties reported lower late-life well-being, controlling for key individual predictors, including age at death, gender, education, and household income. The regional variables examined did not directly relate to well-being change but were found to moderate (e.g., amplify) the disparities in change attributed to individual variables. Our results suggest that resource-poor counties provide relatively less fertile grounds for successful aging until the end of life and may serve to exacerbate disparities. We conclude that examinations of how individual and residential characteristics interact can further our understanding of individual psychological outcomes and suggest routes for future inquiry. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

A review of theoretical and empirical advancements.

In this article, we review both theoretical and empirical advancements in retirement adjustment research. After reviewing and integrating current theories about retirement adjustment, we propose a resource-based dynamic perspective to apply to the understanding of retirement adjustment. We then review empirical findings that are associated with the key research questions in this literature: (a) What is the general impact of retirement on the individual? and (b) What are the factors that influence retirement adjustment quality? We also highlight important future research directions that may be fruitful for psychologists to pursue in this area. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2011 APA, all rights reserved)     

What works in coping with HIV? A meta-analysis with implications for coping with serious illness.

Knowledge of effective ways of coping with HIV is critical to help individuals with HIV maintain the best possible psychological and physical well-being. The purpose of the present article is to determine, through meta-analysis, the strength of the evidence regarding 2 questions: (a) Which types of coping are related to psychological and physical well-being among people with HIV? and (b) Do contextual (pre?post introduction of highly active antiretroviral therapies [HAART]; time since diagnosis), measurement (HIV-related event vs. generic prompts for coping measurement), or individual (gender) variables affect the extent to which coping is related to physical and psychological well-being? The authors' analysis demonstrates that Direct Action and Positive Reappraisal were consistently associated with better outcomes in people coping with HIV across affective, health behavior, and physical health categories. In contrast, disengagement forms of coping, such as Behavioral Disengagement and Use of Alcohol or Drugs to Cope, were consistently associated with poorer outcomes. The findings also indicate that in some cases, coping effectiveness was dependent on contextual factors, including time since diagnosis and the advent of HAART. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Psychological well-being in retirement: The effects of personal and gendered contextual resources.

Although prior research points to the gendered nature of work and private routines, surprisingly few studies have explored the influence of gender on the sources of psychological well-being in retirement. Drawing on resource theories and theories on the gendered division of labor, this study examines how preretirement resources relate to retirees' psychological well-being by using data from the Wisconsin Longitudinal Study. It is hypothesized that possessing key resources prior to retirement as well as losing or gaining resources in the transition to retirement influence retirees' well-being and that these effects are partially conditioned by gender. Results indicate that preretirement physical health, tenacity in goal pursuit, and flexibility in goal adjustment are beneficial for men's and women's well-being alike. By contrast, financial assets and job dissatisfaction are more strongly related to men's psychological well-being in retirement and preretirement social contacts to that of women. Thus, the study underscores the importance of considering gendered resources in retirement research. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2011 APA, all rights reserved)     

Antecedents of bridge employment: A longitudinal investigation.

Bridge employment is the labor force participation pattern increasingly observed in older workers between their career jobs and their complete labor force withdrawal. It serves as a transition process from career employment to full retirement. Typical bridge employment decisions include full retirement, career bridge employment, and bridge employment in a different field. In the current study, 3 dominant theories (i.e., role theory, continuity theory, and life course perspective) on retirement processes were reviewed. On the basis of these theories, the authors proposed 4 categories of antecedents (i.e., individual attributes, job-related psychological variables, family-related variables, and a retirement-planning-related variable) of different types of bridge employment decisions. The authors used longitudinal data of a large, nationally representative sample from the Health and Retirement Study (F. Juster & R. Suzman, 1995) to test the current hypotheses. These data were analyzed with multinomial logistic regression, and most of the hypotheses were supported by the results. The implications of this study are discussed at both theoretical and practical levels. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Changes of life satisfaction in the transition to retirement: A latent-class approach.

Contradictory positions have been advanced as to whether retirement has negative, positive, or no effects on subjective well-being. The authors investigated changes in life satisfaction in 1,456 German retirees. Using latent growth mixture modeling, the authors found 3 groups of people who experienced retirement differently. In Group 1, satisfaction declined at retirement but continued on a stable or increasing trajectory thereafter. Group 2 demonstrated a large increase in satisfaction at retirement but overall declining satisfaction. In Group 3, satisfaction showed a temporary very small increase at retirement. Groups differed by retirement age, gender, socioeconomic status, marital status, health, unemployment before retiring, and region. Thus, retirement is not a uniform transition, and resource-rich individuals are less likely to experience retirement-related change in satisfaction. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

The relative effects of deprivation of the latent and manifest benefits of employment on the well-being of unemployed people.

This study investigated the relative contributions of the individual latent and manifest benefits of employment to well-being in a sample of 248 unemployed people. Participants completed measures of well-being and the latent (time structure, activity, status, collective purpose, and social contact) and manifest (financial strain) benefits of employment. Significant associations were found between the latent benefits and well-being and between the manifest benefits and well-being. Both latent and manifest benefits contributed significantly to the prediction of well-being, with the manifest benefit accounting for the largest proportion. Although all latent benefits contributed significantly, status emerged as the most important contributor, followed by time structure and collective purpose. Results are discussed in the context of M. Jahoda's (1982) latent deprivation model and D. Fryer's (1986) agency restriction model. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Reciprocal influences in children's and families' adaptation to early childhood wheezing.

Objective: The objective of the present study was to demonstrate the reciprocal relationships between family adaptation to illness and children's medication use over time among children who presented with wheezing illness in infancy but have varying illness outcomes by age 4. Design: A longitudinal design and latent growth curve models (LGM) were used to predict change in family and caregiver adaptation to illness and children's medication use over three years among 140 infants with wheezing, among families from low socioeconomic, multi-ethnic backgrounds. Main Outcome Measures: One LGM predicted level and change (slope) of family adaptation to illness from children's baseline medication use. The second LGM predicted level and change (slope) of children's medication use from baseline family adjustment to illness. In both models, illness severity, caregivers' psychological resources, and emergency department use were covaried with the independent variable. Results: Two latent growth models were found to adequately fit the data and demonstrate full reciprocal relations between family adaptation to illness and children's medication use while accounting for baseline variables. Baseline measures of caregiver psychological functioning and illness severity were also significant predictors of family adaptation and children's medication use over time. The two models were not statistically different for children with and without active asthma at 4 years of age. Conclusion: Findings support the reciprocal effects model of child and family influences on pediatric illness and underscore the importance of early indicators of individual and family functioning. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Impact of racial perspectives and contextual variables on marital trust and adjustment for African American couples.

This study examined the associations of racial perspectives that represent pro-African American, anti-African American, or a mixture of these beliefs with marital trust and adjustment for African American couples (N=93). Religious well-being and socioeconomic status (SES) were examined as contextual moderators. For husbands only, the anti-African American perspective was inversely associated with couple functioning, the mixed perspective was inversely associated with marital trust, and the pro-African American perspective predicted marital trust only for husbands having relatively low religious well-being and relatively high SES. The limited effects of pro-African American attitudes suggest the need to evaluate a wider range of these attitudes in future research. Also, findings corroborate suggestions for therapists to routinely assess and address both cultural pride and shame issues relevant to African American couple relationships. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Comparative longitudinal structural analyses of the growth and decline of multiple intellectual abilities over the life span.

Latent growth curve techniques and longitudinal data are used to examine predictions from the theory of fluid and crystallized intelligence (Gf-Gc theory; J. L. Horn & R. B. Cattell, 1966, 1967). The data examined are from a sample (N?–?1,200) measured on the Woodcock-Johnson Psycho-Educational Battery-Revised (WJ-R). The longitudinal structural equation models used are based on latent growth models of age using two-occasion "accelerated" data (e.g., J. J. McArdle & R. Q. Bell, 2000; J. J. McArdle & R. W. Woodcock, 1997). Nonlinear mixed-effects growth models based on a dual exponential rate yield a reasonable fit to all life span cognitive data. These results suggest that most broad cognitive functions fit a generalized curve that rises and falls. Novel multilevel models directly comparing growth curves show that broad fluid reasoning (Gf) and acculturated crystallized knowledge (Gc) have different growth patterns. In all comparisons, any model of cognitive age changes with only a single g factor yields an overly simplistic view of growth and change over age. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Growth mixture modeling of academic achievement in children of varying birth weight risk.

The extremes of birth weight and preterm birth are known to result in a host of adverse outcomes, yet studies to date largely have used cross-sectional designs and variable-centered methods to understand long-term sequelae. Growth mixture modeling (GMM) that utilizes an integrated person- and variable-centered approach was applied to identify latent classes of achievement from a cohort of school-age children born at varying birth weights. GMM analyses revealed 2 latent achievement classes for calculation, problem-solving, and decoding abilities. The classes differed substantively and persistently in proficiency and in growth trajectories. Birth weight was a robust predictor of class membership for the 2 mathematics achievement outcomes and a marginal predictor of class membership for decoding. Neither visuospatial-motor skills nor environmental risk at study entry added to class prediction for any of the achievement skills. Among children born preterm, neonatal medical variables predicted class membership uniquely beyond birth weight. More generally, GMM is useful in revealing coherence in the developmental patterns of academic achievement in children of varying weight at birth and is well suited to investigations of sources of heterogeneity. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Understanding the influence of demographic and psychological variables on retirement planning.

The authors examined the degree to which workers were engaging in financial, health, interpersonal/leisure, and work planning for retirement, exploring whether demographic and psychological variables inhibited or promoted planning in each of these domains. Planning in each domain was influenced by a unique set of variables. Goals emerged as a consistent and positive predictor of planning. Gender accounted for health and interpersonal/leisure planning, while work planning behavior was negatively predicted by income. Time perspective also helped to clarify the amount of retirement planning undertaken in the financial and interpersonal/leisure domains. Practical implications for designing retirement interventions are discussed. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Role of gender-related personality traits, problem-solving appraisal, and perceived social support in developing a mediational model of psychological adjustment.

This study examined the relation between gender-related personality traits and psychological adjustment. The study used structural equation modeling with latent variables to assess how gender-related personality traits influence aspects of psychological adjustment. Participants included 306 undergraduate and graduate students. Results indicated that the different gender-related personality traits influence corresponding aspects of psychological adjustment through 2 mediational components: problem-solving appraisal and perceived social support. The relation between gender-related personality traits and psychological adjustment is not simply a linear one as conceptualized previously. Rather, gender-related personality traits have an indirect effect through mediating factors. Implications for counseling interventions and for further research are discussed. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Patterns of home leaving and subjective well-being in emerging adulthood: The role of motivational processes and parental autonomy support.

In Western, postindustrial societies, the timing of home leaving is increasingly delayed. The diversity of home-leaving patterns, resulting from this evolution, has not yet been systematically studied from a psychological perspective. In this study, the authors aimed to examine how emerging adults’ living arrangements—and the motives underlying those arrangements, as conceptualized in self-determination theory—relate to subjective well-being. A Belgian sample of 224 emerging adults and their parents completed self-report questionnaires. Analyses that used structural equation modeling showed that autonomous motivation for one’s living arrangement is more strongly related to emerging adults’ well-being than the living arrangement per se. Further, autonomy-supportive parenting was found to relate positively to an autonomously regulated residential status. Implications for the meaning and development of autonomy during emerging adulthood are discussed. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Psychosocial predictors of changing sleep patterns in aging women: A multiple pathway approach.

The authors of this investigation sought to examine changes in the sleep quality of older women over time and to determine whether dimensions of psychological well-being, health (subjective health and number of illnesses), and psychological distress (depression and anxiety) predict these changes. A secondary analysis was conducted with a longitudinal sample of aging women (Kwan, Love, Ryff, & Essex, 2003). Of 518 community-dwelling older women in the parent study, 115 women (baseline M age = 67 years, SD = 7.18) with data at baseline, 8 years, and 10 years were used for this investigation. Participants completed self-administered questionnaires and participated in in-home interviews and observations. Growth curve modeling was used to examine the overall linear trajectories of sleep quality. Growth mixture modeling was used to examine whether there were different patterns of change in sleep quality over time and to examine baseline predictors of each pattern. Sleep quality declined over time but not for all women. Two distinctly different sleep patterns emerged: good but declining sleep quality and disrupted sleep quality. Higher psychological well-being (positive relations with others, environmental mastery, personal growth, purpose in life, and self-acceptance), fewer illnesses, and lower depression scores at baseline predicted reduced odds for membership in the disrupted sleep group. Future research is needed to examine whether interventions focused on maintaining or enhancing psychological well-being could minimize later life declines in sleep quality. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

The theoretical status of latent variables.

This article examines the theoretical status of latent variables as used in modern test theory models. First, it is argued that a consistent interpretation of such models requires a realist ontology for latent variables. Second, the relation between latent variables and their indicators is discussed. It is maintained that this relation can be interpreted as a causal one but that in measurement models for interindividual differences the relation does not apply to the level of the individual person. To substantiate intraindividual causal conclusions, one must explicitly represent individual level processes in the measurement model. Several research strategies that may be useful in this respect are discussed, and a typology of constructs is proposed on the basis of this analysis. The need to link individual processes to latent variable models for interindividual differences is emphasized. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2011 APA, all rights reserved)     

The process of Retirement Planning Scale (PRePS): Development and validation.

Although a substantial proportion of the western population is approaching retirement age, little is known about how they are preparing for the future. Much attention has been paid to the consumption of educational material and retirement wealth in the present literature, but the process of retirement planning has been ignored. S. L. Friedman and E. K. Scholnick's (1997) theoretical model provided the basis for a comprehensive measure of retirement planning. According to their process theory, individuals develop an understanding of the problem, set goals, make a decision to start preparing, and finally undertake the behaviors needed to fulfill their goals. Fifty-two items were developed to assess each stage of the planning process for financial, health, lifestyle, and psychosocial retirement planning. These were tested on a population sample of 1,449 New Zealanders aged 49–60. Confirmatory factor analysis, bivariate correlations, and hierarchical regression provided support for the valid use of the measure. Necessary antecedents, such as the tendency to look to the future, and locus of control were significantly related to the Process of Retirement Planning Scale (PRePS). The PRePS also outperformed retirement planning measures used in the Health and Retirement Study (F. T. Juster & R. Suzman, 1995) after controlling for socioeconomic and psychological variables. This measure will enable social policy makers to determine which stages of retirement planning require support and intervention. The PRePS will also help to determine which domains of retirement planning predict well-being in later life and the factors which differentiate those who are planning from those who are not. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

An activity group experience for disengaged elderly persons.

Tested 2 main theories of effective psychological adjustment to aging: activity theory, which proposes that elderly persons should remain in active contact with their environment; and disengagement theory, which suggests that adjustment comes through a reduction of activity and social contact. 26 of 52 disengaged Ss, average age 76.6 yrs, were exposed to an activity group experience. Ss demonstrated significant improvement over the 26 untreated controls on 6 of 7 measures (Chicago Activity Inventory, Life Satisfaction Index and 5 scores from the 16 PF) of psychological adjustment and well-being. Results support the activity theory of effective psychological adjustment to aging. (21 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Testing the degree of cross-sectional and longitudinal dependence between two discrete dynamic processes.

Developmental research often involves studying change across 2 or more processes or constructs simultaneously. A natural question in this work is whether change in these 2 processes is related or independent. Associative latent transition analysis (ALTA) was designed to test hypotheses about the degree to which change in 2 discrete latent variables is related. The ALTA model is a type of latent class model, which is a categorical latent variable model based on categorical indicators. In the ALTA approach, level and change on 1 variable is predicted by level and change in another. Two types of hypotheses are discussed: (a) broad hypotheses of dependence between the 2 discrete latent variables and (b) targeted hypotheses comparing specific patterns of change between levels of the discrete variables. Both types of hypotheses are tested via nested model comparisons. Analyses of relations between psychological state and substance use illustrate the model. Recent psychological state and recent substance use were found to be associated cross-sectionally and longitudinally, implying that change in recent substance use was related to change in recent psychological state. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Maculinity, femininity, Type A behavior, and psychosocial adjustment in medical students.

80 male and 35 female freshmen medical students (mean age 23.6 yrs) completed measures of masculinity and femininity; Type A (coronary prone) behavior; and psychological well-being, adjustment, and interpersonal satisfaction to investigate the relationship between these variables in Ss. Appropriate statistical treatment of the data revealed strong and consistent masculinity effects on neuroticism, depression, self-esteem, confidence, hedonic capacity, locus of control, and relationship satisfaction. Femininity main effects varied in number as a function of the statistical method employed and involved a more diverse group of variables than is typically reported. Additive androgyny formulations of mental health were supported; balance androgyny formulations were not. No evidence for a Type A?×?masculinity effect on adjustment was found. Discussion focuses on the correct interpretation of masculinity and femininity scales, comparability of ANOVA and multiple regression statistical analyses, and the viability of the concept of androgyny. (36 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)