essay

Social-Psychological Theories of Aging Four theories are presented below, which are used to explain the changes in social roles that accompany aging. It is important that you understand the differences between these theories, as they will arise several times throughout the course. Disengagement theory: Reduced social roles and activity with age; allows older persons to reduce activity gradually. Activity theory: Lost social roles are replaced with alternative ones. Continuity theory: Continued activities and roles from middle age. Life course theory: Social roles are constantly changing over the course of the individual¡¯s life. Each stage is defined by certain social roles, which may vary across individuals. Problems with Social-Psychological Theories Each of the social-psychological theories adds support, but none of them can explain the process of aging entirely. They need to be considered together, as one theory can usually explain one aspect, while another will provide a better example of another case. It is difficult to determine the relationship between activity type/level and life satisfaction. For example, there is so much variability with respect to the types of activities that seniors engage in, the level that they participate at, and the amount of satisfaction that is derived. These aspects can be very difficult to operationalize and quantify in research terms. Researchers have shown that aged people select different types of leisure activities than younger people. They prefer activities with personal meaning. This personal meaning creates happiness in the aged person and drives further pursuit of activities. Volunteer research supports this finding. For example, only a small percentage of seniors engage in volunteer activities; however, the hours they volunteer exceed all other age groups. Thus, the enjoyment they derive from volunteering fuels further volunteering. Finally, if seniors find meaning in their life and their psychological needs are met¡ªcombined with a certain degree of societal engagement¡ªthey will express an overall happiness with their lives. However, how this balance is derived will vary considerably between individuals.