Skip to main content Accessibility help

We use cookies to distinguish you from other users and to provide you with a better experience on our websites. Close this message to accept cookies or find out how to manage your cookie settings.

Close cookie message
×
Hostname: page-component-5cf477f64f-r2nwp Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2025-04-04T05:36:56.816Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false

17 - The Measurement of Life Satisfaction and Happiness in Old-Old Age

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  05 August 2012

By
Alex J. Bishop  and
Peter Martin
Edited by
Leonard W. Poon  and
Jiska Cohen-Mansfield
Alex J. Bishop
Affiliation:
Oklahoma State University
Peter Martin
Affiliation:
Iowa State University
Leonard W. Poon
Affiliation:
University of Georgia
Jiska Cohen-Mansfield
Affiliation:
Tel-Aviv University
Get access

Summary

ABSTRACT

Happiness and satisfaction with life has emerged as a renewed topic of interest among gerontological investigators. However, the conceptualization of life satisfaction and happiness in advanced later life can present challenges relative to selection of proper measurement instrumentation. This chapter addresses the conceptualization and measurement of life satisfaction and happiness in very old age in three key ways. First, the conceptualization of subjective well-being is addressed in reference to the oldest old. Second, psychometric properties pertaining to past and current use of classical (e.g., Life Satisfaction Index-A), second-generation (e.g., Satisfaction with Life Scale), and domain-specific (e.g., Retirement Satisfaction Index) measures of subjective well-being within old and very old populations is addressed. Third, future directions for the advancement of measurement of subjective well-being in old-old populations are highlighted.

INTRODUCTION

In Chapter 3, Shmotkin referred to subjective well-being as a “dynamic and flexible agent of adaptation” in old-old age. Gerontologists have a long history of developing quantitative instruments to assess feelings of satisfaction and the pursuit of happiness in later life (Ferraro & Schafer, 2008). Yet reliable and valid psychometric tools to evaluate subjective well-being among exceptionally old adults can be difficult to find. As Fry and Ikels highlighted in Chapter 15, the well-being construct is conceptually sound but often too complex to operationalize. This is a possible explanation for why quantitative assessments of subjective well-being have yielded mixed results.

Type
Chapter
Information
Understanding Well-Being in the Oldest Old , pp. 290 - 331
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
Print publication year: 2011

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

Aberg, C. A., Sidenvall, B., Hepworth, M., O'Reilly, K., & Lithell, H. (2005). On loss of activity and independence, adaptation improves life satisfaction in old age – a qualitative study of patients' perceptions. Quality of Life Research, 14, 1111–1125.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Adams, D. (1969). Analysis of a life satisfaction index. Journal of Gerontology, 24, 470–474.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Adkins, G., Martin, P., & Poon, L. W. (1996). Personality traits and states as predictors of subjective well-being in centenarians, octogenarians, and sexagenarians. Psychology and Aging, 11, 408–416.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Andrews, F. M., & Whitney, S. B. (1976). Social indicators of well-being: America's perception of life quality. New York: Plenum Press.CrossRef
Anstey, K. J., Burns, R., Sanden, C., & Luszcz, M. A. (2008). Psychological well-being is an independent predictor of falling in an 8-year follow-up of older adults. Journals of Gerontology, 63B, P249–P257.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Bengtson, V. L., & Black, K. D. (1973). Inter-generation relations and continuities in socialization. In Baltes, P. & Schaie, K. W. (Eds.), Life-span developmental psychology: Personality and socialization (pp. 207–234). New York: Academic Press.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Bengston, V. L., & Lovejoy, M. C. (1973). Values, personality, and social structure: An intergenerational analyses. American Behavioral Scientist, 16, 880–912.Google Scholar
Berg, A. I., Hassing, L. B., McClearn, G. E., & Johansson, B. (2006). What matters most for life satisfaction in the oldest-old? Aging and Mental Health, 10, 257–267.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Bishop, A. J. (2006). Age and gender differences in adaptation and subjective well-being of older adults residing in monastic religious communities. Pastoral Psychology, 55, 131–144.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Bishop, A. J., Martin, P., MacDonald, M., & Poon, L. (2010). Predicting happiness among centenarians. Gerontology, 56, 88–92.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Bishop, A. J., Martin, P., & Poon, L. (2006). Happiness and congruence in late adulthood: A structural model of life satisfaction. Aging and Mental Health, 10, 445–453.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Boivin, M. J., Kirby, A. L., Underwood, L. K., & Silva, H. (1999). Spiritual Well-Being Scale. In Hill, P.C. and Hood, Jr R. W.. (Eds.), Measures of religiosity (pp. 382–385). Birmingham, AL: Religious Education Press.Google Scholar
Bradburn, N. M. (1969). The structure of psychological well-being. Chicago: Aldine.Google Scholar
Brant, C. R., Jewell, T. A., & Rye, M. S. (1999). Congregational Satisfaction Questionnaire. In Hill, P. C. & Wood, R. W. (Eds.), Measures of religiosity (pp. 484–487). Birmingham, AL; Religious Education Press.Google Scholar
Bufford, R. K., Paloutzian, R. F., & Ellison, C. W. (1991). Norms for the Spiritual Well-Being Scale. Journal of Psychology and Theology, 19, 56–70.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Cantril, H. (1965). The pattern of human concerns. New Brunswick, NJ: Rutgers University Press.Google Scholar
Chipperfield, J. G., & Havens, B. (2001). Gender differences in the relationship between marital status transitions and life satisfaction in later life. Journal of Gerontology, 56B, P176–P186.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Choi, L. H. (2003). Factors affecting volunteerism among older adults. Journal of Applied Gerontology, 22, 179–196.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Chou, K. L., & Chi, I. (1999). Determinants of life satisfaction in Hong Kong Chinese elderly: A longitudinal study. Aging and Mental Health, 3, 328–335.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Clayton, R. R. (1971). 5-D or 1? Journal for the Scientific Study of Religion, 10, 37–40.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Clayton, R. R., & Gladden, J. W. (1974). The five dimensions of religiosity: Toward demythologizing a sacred artifact. Journal for the Scientific Study of Religion, 13, 135–144.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Davis, J., & Smith, T. W. (1998). In General social survey cumulative file. Ann Arbor: University of Michigan, Inter-University Consortium for Political and Social Research.Google Scholar
Derogatis, L. R., & Melisaratos, N. (1983). The Brief Symptom Inventory: An introductory report. Psychological Medicine, 13, 595–605.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Dickerson, B., & Watkins, D. R. (2003). The Caleb Effect: The oldest-old in church and society. Journal of Religious Gerontology, 15, 201–213.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Diener, E., & Biswas-Diener, R. (2008). Happiness: Unlocking the mysteries of psychological wealth. Malden, MA: Blackwell Publishing.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Diener, E., Emmons, R. A., Larsen, R. J., & Griffin, S. (1985). The Satisfaction with Life Scale. Journal of Personality Assessment, 49, 71–75.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Diener, E., Lucas, R. E., & Scollon, C. N. (2006). Beyond the hedonic treadmill: Revising the adaptation theory of well-being. American Psychologist, 61, 305–314.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Diener, E., Suh, E. M., Lucas, R. E., & Smith, H. L. (1999). Subjective well-being: Three decades of progress. Psychological Bulletin, 125, 276–302.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Dorfman, L. T. (1989). Retirement preparation and retirement satisfaction in the rural elderly. Journal of Applied Gerontology, 8, 432–450.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Dorfman, L. T. (1995). Health conditions and perceived quality of life in retirement. Health and Social Work, 20, 192–199.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Dorfman, L. T., Kohout, F. J., & Heckert, D. A. (1985). Retirement satisfaction in the rural elderly. Research on Aging, 7, 577–599.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Eid, M., & Larsen, R. J. (Eds.). (2008). The science of subjective well-being. New York: Guilford Press.Google Scholar
Ellison, C. W. (1983). Spiritual well-being: Conceptualization and measurement. Journal of Psychology and Theology, 11, 330–339.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Emmons, R. A., McCullough, M. E., & Tsang, J. A. (2003). The assessment of gratitude. In Lopez, S. L. & Snyder, C. R. (Eds.), Positive psychological assessment: A handbook of models and measures (pp. 327–341). Washington, DC: American Psychological Association.Google Scholar
Erikson, J. M. (1997). Gerotranscendence. In Erikson, E. H. (Ed.), The life cycle completed (pp. 123–129). New York: Norton.Google Scholar
Faulkner, J. E., & DeJong, G. (1966). Religiosity in 5-D: An empirical analysis. Social Forces, 45, 246–254.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Ferraro, K. F., & Schafer, M. H. (2008). Gerontology's greatest hits. Journals of Gerontology: Psychological and Social Sciences, 63, S3–6.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Fiori, K. L., Smith, J., & Antonucci, T. C. (2007). Social network types among older adults: A multidimensional approach. Journals of Gerontology, 62, P322–P330.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Floyd, F. J., Haynes, S. N., Doll, E. R., Winemiller, D., Lemsky, C., Burgy, T. M., et al. (1992). Assessing retirement satisfaction and perceptions of retirement experiences. Psychology and Aging, 7, 609–621.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Fouquereau, E., Fernandez, A., Fonseca, A. M., Paul, M. C., & Uotinen, V. (2005). Perceptions of and satisfaction with retirement: A comparison of six European union countries. Psychology and Aging, 20, 524–528.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Fouquereau, E., Fernandez, A., & Mullet, E. (1999). The Retirement Satisfaction Inventory: Factor structure in a French sample. European Journal of Psychological Assessment, 15, 49–56.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Goodman, C., & Silverstein, M. (2002). Grandmothers raising grandchildren: Family structure and well-being in culturally diverse families. Gerontologist, 42, 676–689.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Greenfield, E. A. & Marks, N. F. (2004). Formal volunteering as a protective factor for older adults' psychological well-being. Journals of Gerontology, 59B, S258–S264.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Greenfield, E. A., & Marks, N. F. (2007). Continuous participation in voluntary groups as a protective factor for the psychological well-being of adults who develop functional limitations: Evidence from a national survey of families and households. Journals of Gerontology, 62B, S60–S68.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Hall, D. E., Meador, K. G., & Koenig, H. G. (2008). Measuring religiousness in health research: Review and critique. Journal of Religion and Health, 47, 134–163.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Haynes, S. N., Floyd, F. J., Lemsky, C., Rogersdoll, E., Winemiller, D., Heilman, N., et al. (1992). The Marital Satisfaction Questionnaire for older persons. Psychological Assessment, 4, 473–482.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Heywood, F., Oldman, C., & Means, R. (2002). Housing and home in later life. Buckingham, England: Oxford University Press.Google Scholar
Hill, P. C., & Wood, R. W.. (Eds.). (1999). Measures of religiosity. Birmingham, AL: Religious Education Press.Google Scholar
Hoyt, D. R., & Creech, J. C. (1983). The Life Satisfaction Index: A methodological and theoretical critique. Journal of Gerontology, 38, 111–116.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Isaacowitz, D. M., & Smith, J. (2003). Positive and negative affect in very old age. Journal of Gerontology, 58B, P143–P152.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Jopp, D., & Rott, C. (2006). Adaptation in very old age: Exploring the role of resources, beliefs, and attitudes for centenarians' happiness. Psychology and Aging, 21, 266–280.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Jopp, D., Rott, C., & Oswald, F. (2008). Valuation of life in old and very old age: The role of sociodemographic, social, and health resources for positive adaptation. Gerontologist, 48, 646–658.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Kahneman, D., & Krueger, A. B. (2006). Developments in the measurement of subjective well being. Journal of Economic Perspectives, 20, 3–24.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Kalkstein, S., & Tower, B. R. (2008). The Daily Spiritual Experiences Scale and well-being: Demographic comparisons and scale validation with older Jewish adults and a diverse Internet sample [Electronic version]. Journal of Religion and Health. Retrieved March 20, 2009 from http://www.springerlink.com/content/n328jm68v8pq0jv1/fulltext.pdf.
Karasek, R.Brisson, C., Kawakami, N., Houtman, I., Bongers, P., & Amick, B. (1998). The Job Content Questionnaire (JCQ): An instrument for internationally comparative assessments of psychosocial job characteristics. Journal of Occupational Health Psychology, 3, 322–355.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Karasek, R., & Theorell, T. (1990). Healthy work: Stress, productivity, and the reconstruction of work life. New York: Basic Books.Google Scholar
Keyes, C., Shmotkin, D., & Ryff, C. D. (2002). Optimizing well-being: The empirical encounter of two traditions. Journal of Social Psychology and Personality, 82, 1007–1022.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Kirschling, J. M., & Pittman, J. F. (1989). Measurement of spiritual well-being: A hospice caregiver example. Hospice Journal, 5, 1–11.Google Scholar
Koenig, H. G. (Ed.). (1998). Handbook of religion and mental health. San Diego: Academic Press.Google Scholar
Koenig, H. G., McCullough, M. E., & Larson, D. B. (2001). Handbook of religion and health. New York: Oxford University Press.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Krause, N. (2003). Religious meaning and subjective well-being in late life. Journal of Gerontology, 58B, S160–S170.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Krause, N. (2004). Common facets of religion, unique facets of religion, and life satisfaction among older African-Americans. Journal of Gerontology, 59B, S109–S117.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Krause, N. (2006). Gratitude toward God, stress,and health in later life. Research on Aging, 28, 163–183.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Krause, N. (2007a). Evaluating the stress-buffering function of meaning in life among older people. Journal of Aging and Health, 19, 792–812.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Krause, N. (2007b). Self-expression and depressive symptoms in late life. Research on Aging, 29, 187–206.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Krause, N. (2009). Deriving a sense of meaning in late life: An overlooked forum for development of interdisciplinary theory. In Bengston, V. L., Gans, D., Putney, N. M., & Silverstein, M. (Eds.), Handbook of theories of aging (2nd ed., pp. 101–116). New York: Springer.Google Scholar
Krause, N., & Ellison, C. G. (2009). Social environment of the church and feelings of gratitude toward God. Psychology of Religion and Spirituality, 1, 191–205.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Kunzmann, U., Little, T. D., & Smith, J. (2000). Is age-related stability of subjective well-being a paradox? Cross-sectional and longitudinal evidence from the Berlin Aging Study. Psychology and Aging, 15, 511–526.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Lang, F. R., & Carstensen, L. L. (2002). Time counts: Future time perspective, goals and social relationships. Psychology and Aging, 17, 125–139.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Larsen, R. J., & Prizmic, Z. (2008). Regulation of emotional well-being. In Eid, M. & Larsen, R. J. (Eds.), The science of subjective well-being (pp. 258–289). New York: Guilford Press.Google Scholar
Lawton, M. P. (1975). The Philadelphia Geriatric Morale Scale: A revision. Journal of Gerontology, 30, 85–89.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Lawton, M. P., Moss, M., Hoffman, C., Kleban, M. H., Ruckdeschel, K., & Winter, L. (2001). Valuation of life: A concept and scale. Journal of Aging and Health, 13, 3–31.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Ledbetter, M. F., Smith, L. A., Fischer, J. D., Vosler-Hunter, W. L., et al. (1991). An evaluation of the construct validity of the Spiritual Well-Being Scale: A confirmatory factor analytic approach. Journal of Psychology and Theology, 19, 94–102.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Lee, J. Y., & Im, G. S. (2007). Self-enhancing bias in personality, subjective happiness, and perception of life-events: A replication in a Korean aged sample. Aging and Mental Health, 11, 57–60.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Liang, J. (1984). Dimensions of the Life Satisfaction Index A: A structural formation. Journal of Gerontology, 39, 613–622.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Liang, J. (1985). A structural integration of the Affect Balance Scale and the Life Satisfaction Index A. Journal of Gerontology, 40, 552–561.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Liang, J., & Bollen, K. A. (1983). The structure of the Philadelphia Geriatric Center Morale Scale: A reinterpretation. Journal of Gerontology, 38, 181–189.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Liang, J., Lawrence, R. H., & Bollen, K. A. (1986). Age differences in the structure of the Philadelphia Geriatric Morale Scale. Psychology and Aging, 1, 27–33.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Long, V., & Martin, P. (2000). Personality, relationship closeness, and loneliness of oldest old adults and their children. Journal of Gerontology, 55, P311–P319.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Lucas, R. E. (2008). Personality and subjective well-being. In Eid, M. & Larsen, R. J. (Eds.), The science of subjective well-being (pp. 171–194). New York: Guilford Press.Google Scholar
Lyubomirsky, S., & Lepper, H. S. (1999). A measure of subjective happiness: Preliminary reliability and construct validation. Social Indicators Research, 46, 137–155.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Lyya, T. M., Törmäkangas, T. M., Read, S., Rantanen, T., & Berg, S. (2006). Satisfaction with present life predicts survival in octogenarians. Journals of Gerontology, 61B, P319–P326.Google Scholar
MacEwen, K. E., Barling, J., Kelloway, E. K., & Higginbottom, S. F. (1995). Predicting retirement anxiety: The roles of parental socialization and personal planning. Journal of Social Psychology, 135, 203–213.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Maitland, S. B., Dixon, R. A., Hultsch, D. F., & Hertzog, C. (2001). Well-being as a moving target: Measurement equivalence of the Bradburn Affect Balance Scale. Journals of Gerontology, 56B, P69–P77.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Mangen, D., Bengston, V. L., & Landry, P. H., Jr. (Eds.). (1988). The measurement of intergenerational relations. Beverly Hills, CA: Sage.Google Scholar
Mangen, D. J., & Peterson, W. A. (Eds.). (1982). Research instruments in social gerontology: Vol. 2, Social roles and social participation. Minneapolis: University of Minnesota Press.Google Scholar
Martin, M., Grünendahl, M., & Martin, P. (2001). Age differences in stress, social resources, and well-being in middle and older age. Journal of Gerontology, 56B, P214–P222.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Martin, P., Kliegel, M., Rott, C., Poon, L. W., & Johnson, M. A. (2008). Age differences and changes in coping behavior in three age groups: Findings from the Georgia Centenarian Study. International Journal of Aging and Human Development, 66, 97–114.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
McCullough, M. E., Emmons, R. A., & Tsang, J. A. (2002). The grateful disposition: A conceptual and empirical topography. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 82, 112–127.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Mehlsen, M., Platz, J., & Fromholt, P. (2003). Life satisfaction across the life course: Evaluations of the most and least satisfying decades of life. International Journal of Aging and Human Development, 57, 217–236.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Mroczek, D. K., & Kolarz, C. M. (1998). The effect of age on positive and negative affect: A developmental perspective on happiness. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 75, 1333–1349.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Mroczek, D. K., & Spiro, A., III. (2005). Change in life satisfaction during adulthood: Findings from the Veterans Affairs Normative Aging Study. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 88, 189–202.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Neugarten, B. L., Havighurst, R. J., & Tobin, S. S. (1961). The measurement of life satisfaction. Journal of Gerontology, 16, 134–143.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Oswald, F., Schilling, O., Wahl, H. W., Fänge, A., Sixsmith, J., & Iwarsson, S. (2006). Homeward bound: Introducing a four-domain model of perceived housing in very old age. Journal of Environmental Psychology, 26, 187–201.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Oswald, F., Wahl, H. W., Schilling, O., Nygren, C., Fänge, A., Sixsmith, A., et al. (2007). Relationships between housing and healthy aging in very old age. Gerontologist, 47, 96–107.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Paloutzian, R. F., & Ellison, C. W. (1982). Loneliness, spiritual well-being, and quality of life. In Peplau, L. A. & Perlman, D. (Eds.), Loneliness: A sourcebook of current theory, research, and therapy (pp. 224–237). New York: Wiley Interscience.Google Scholar
Paloutzian, R. F., & Ellison, C. W. (1991). Manual for the Spiritual Well-Being Scale. Nyack, NY: Life Advance.Google Scholar
Pavot, W., & Diener, E. (1993). Review of the Satisfaction with Life Scale. Psychological Assessment, 52, 164–172.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Pavot, W., & Diener, E. (2008). The Satisfaction with Life Scale and the emerging construct of life satisfaction. The Journal of Positive Psychology, 3, 137–152.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Pavot, W., Diener, E., & Suh, E. (1998). The temporal satisfaction with life scale. Journal of Personality Assessment, 70, 340–354.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Pinquart, M., & Burmedi, D. (2004). Correlates of residential satisfaction in adulthood and old age: A meta-analysis. In Wahl, H. W., Scheidt, R. J., & Windley, P. G. (Eds.), Annual review of gerontology and geriatrics (Vol. 23, pp. 195–222). New York: Springer.Google Scholar
Pons, D., Atienza, F. L., Balaguer, I., & García-Merita, M. L. (2000). Satisfaction with life scale: Analysis of factorial invariance for adolescents and elderly persons. Perceptual and Motor Skills, 91, 62–68.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Poon, L. W., Clayton, G. M., Martin, P., Johnson, M. A., Coutenay, B. C., Sweaney, A. L., et al. (1992). The Georgia Centenarian Study. International Journal of Aging and Human Development, 34, 1–17.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Poon, L. W., Jazwinski, M., Green, R. C., Woodard, J. L., Martin, P., Rodgers, W. L., et al. (2007). Methodological considerations in studying centenarians: Lessons learned from the Georgian Centenarian Studies. In Poon, L. W., Perls, T. T., & Schaie, K. W. (Eds.), Annual review of gerontology and geriatrics. Vol. 27: Biopsychosocial approaches to longevity (pp. 231–264). New York: Springer.Google Scholar
Radloff, L. S. (1977). The CES-D scale: A self report depression scale for research in the general population. Applied Psychological Measurement, 1, 385–401.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Riley, B. B., Perna, R., Tate, D. G., Forchheimer, M., Anderson, C., & Luera, G. (1998). Types of spiritual well-being among persons with chronic illness: Their relations to various forms of quality of life. Archives of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, 79, 258–264.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Roff, L. L., Klemmack, D. L., Simon, C., Cho, G. W., Parker, M. W., Koenig, H. G., et al. (2006). Functional limitations and religious service attendance among African-American and white older adults. Health and Social Work, 31, 246–255.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Rott, C., Jopp, D., d'Heureuse, V., & Becker, G. (2006). Predictors of well-being in very old age. In Wahl, H. W., Brenner, H., Moleenkopf, H., Rothenbacher, D., & Rott, C. (Eds.), The many faces of health, competence, and well-being in old age: Integrating epidemiological, psychological, and social perspectives (pp. 119–129). New York: Springer.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Ryff, C. D. (1989a). Happiness is everything or is it? Explorations on the meaning of psychological well-being. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 57, 1069–1081.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Ryff, C. D. (1989b). In the eye of the beholder: Views of psychological well-being among middle aged and older adults. Psychology and Aging, 2, 195–210.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Ryff, C. D., & Keyes, C. L. M. (1995). The structure of psychological well-being revisited. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 4, 719–727.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Ryff, C. D., Lee, Y. H., Essex, M. J., & Schmutte, P. S. (1994). My children and me: Midlife evaluations of grown children and of self. Psychology and Aging, 9, 195–205.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Schilling, O. K. (2005). Cohort- and age-related decline in elder's life satisfaction: Is there really a paradox? European Journal of Ageing, 2, 254–263.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Shevlin, M. E., & Bunting, B. P. (1994). Confirmatory factor analysis of the satisfaction with life scale. Perceptual and Motor Skills, 79, 1316–1318.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Shmotkin, D., Berkovich, M., & Cohen, K. (2006). Combining happiness and suffering in a retrospective view of anchor periods in life: A differential approach to subjective well being. Social Indicators Research, 77, 139–169.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Silverman, W. H., Pargament, K. I., Johnson, S. M., Echemendia, R. J., & Snyder, S. (1983). Measuring member satisfaction with the church. Journal of Applied Psychology, 68, 664–677.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Silverstein, M., Cong, Z., & Li, S. (2006). Intergenerational transfers and living arrangements of older people in rural China: Consequences for psychological well-being. Journal of Gerontology, 61B, S256–S266.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Silverstein, M., Conroy, S. J., Wang, H., Giarrusso, R., & Bengston, V. L. (2002). Reciprocity in parent-child relations over the adult life course. Journal of Gerontology, 57, S3–S13.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Smith, P. M., Kendall, L. M., & Hulin, C. L. (1969). The measurement of satisfaction in work and retirement. Skokie, IL: Rand McNally.Google Scholar
Spurlock, W. R. (2005). Spiritual well-being and caregiver burden in Alzheimer's caregivers. Geriatric Nursing, 26, 154–161.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Stacey, C. A., & Gatz, M. (1991). Cross-sectional age differences and longitudinal change on the Bradburn Affect Balance Scale. Journals of Gerontology, 46, P76–P78.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Stephen, Y., Fouquereau, E., & Fernandez, A. (2008). Body satisfaction and retirement satisfaction: The meditational role of subjective health. Aging and Mental Health, 12, 374–381.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Steverink, N., & Lindenberg, S. (2006). Which social needs are important for subjective well being? What happens to them with aging? Psychology and Aging, 21, 281–290.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Stock, W. A., Okun, M. A., & Benin, M. (1986). Structure of subjective well-being among the elderly. Psychology and Aging, 1, 91–102.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Tornstam, L. (2005). Gerotranscendence: A developmental theory of positive aging. New York: Springer.Google Scholar
Vassar, M., Ridge, J. W., & Hill, A. D. (2008). Inducing score reliability from previous reports: An examination of life satisfaction studies. Social Indicators Research, 87, 27–45.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Watson, D., Clark, L. A., & Tellegen, A. (1988). Development and validation of brief measures of positive and negative affect: The PANAS scales. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 54, 1063–1070.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Westerhof, G. J., & Barrett, A. E. (2005). Age identity and subjective well-being: A comparison of the United States and Germany. Journal of Gerontology, 60B, S129–S136.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Wickrama, K. A. S., Surjadi, F. F., Lorenz, F. O., & Elder, G. H., Jr. (2008). The influence of work control trajectories on men's mental and physical health during the middle years: Mediational role of personal control. Journal of Gerontology, 63B, S135–S145.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Wong, E., Woo, J., & Ho, E. H. (2005). Depression is the predominant factor contributing to morale as measured by the Philadelphia Geriatric Morale Scale in elderly Chinese aged 70 years and over. International Journal of Geriatric Psychiatry, 20, 1052–1059.Google Scholar
Wong, E., Woo, J., Hui, E., & Ho, S. C. (2004). Examination of the Philadelphia Geriatric Morale Scale as a subjective quality-of-life measure in the elderly Hong Kong Chinese. Gerontologist, 44, 408–417.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Yang, Y. (2008). Social inequalities in happiness in the United States, 1972 to 2004: An age period-cohort analysis. American Sociological Review, 73, 204–226.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Zung, W. W. (1965). A self-rating depression scale. Archives of General Psychiatry, 12, 63–70.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed

Save book to Kindle

To save this book to your Kindle, first ensure [email protected] is added to your Approved Personal Document E-mail List under your Personal Document Settings on the Manage Your Content and Devices page of your Amazon account. Then enter the ‘name’ part of your Kindle email address below. Find out more about saving to your Kindle.

Note you can select to save to either the @free.kindle.com or @kindle.com variations. ‘@free.kindle.com’ emails are free but can only be saved to your device when it is connected to wi-fi. ‘@kindle.com’ emails can be delivered even when you are not connected to wi-fi, but note that service fees apply.

Find out more about the Kindle Personal Document Service.

Available formats
×

Save book to Dropbox

To save content items to your account, please confirm that you agree to abide by our usage policies. If this is the first time you use this feature, you will be asked to authorise Cambridge Core to connect with your account. Find out more about saving content to Dropbox.

Available formats
×

Save book to Google Drive

To save content items to your account, please confirm that you agree to abide by our usage policies. If this is the first time you use this feature, you will be asked to authorise Cambridge Core to connect with your account. Find out more about saving content to Google Drive.

Available formats
×