Hostname: page-component-586b7cd67f-g8jcs Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-11-22T05:50:16.498Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false

Psychological and Physical Well-Being in the Elderly: The Perceived Well-Being Scale (PWB)

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  29 November 2010

Gary T. Reker
Affiliation:
Trent University
Paul T. P. Wong
Affiliation:
Trent University

Abstract

This article describes the development of the Perceived Well-Being Scale (PWB) which allows for separate assessment of psychological and physical well-being. The PWB is a short and convenient instrument applicable to the elderly. Several studies bearing on the psychometric properties and usefulness of the PWB are presented and the implications of the findings are discussed.

Résumé

Cet article dépeint le développement de l'Echelle du bien-être perçu (PWB) qui a égard à l'evaluation indépendante du bien-être psychologique et physique. Le PWB est un instrument court et commode applicable aux personnes âgées. Plusieures études qui ont rapport avec les propriétés psychométriques et l'utilité du PWB sont présentées et les implications des conclusions sont discutées.

Type
Articles
Copyright
Copyright © Canadian Association on Gerontology 1984

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

REFERENCES

Abdo, E., Dills, J., Sheetman, H., & Yanish, M. (1973). Elderly women in institutions versus those in public housing: Comparison of personal and social adjustment. Journal of the American Geriatrics Society, 21, 8187.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Armor, D. J. (1974). Theta reliability and factor scaling. In H.L Costner (Ed.), Sociological methodology (pp. 1750). San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.Google Scholar
Beck, A. T. (1967). Depression: Clinical, experimental, and theoretical aspects. New York: Harper & Row.Google Scholar
Beck, A. T., Weissman, A., Lester, D. & Trexler, L. (1974). The measurement of pessimism. The hopelessness scale. Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology. 42, 861865.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Bradburn, N. M. (1969). The structure of psychological well-being. Chicago: Aldine.Google Scholar
Braun, P. M. W. (1977). Psychological well-being and location in the social structure. Dissertation Abstracts International, 38, 2351-A.Google Scholar
Cantril, H. (1965). The pattern of human concerns. New Brunswick, NJ: Rutgers University Press.Google Scholar
Carp, F. M. (1976). A senior center in public housing for the elderly. The Gerontologist, 16, 243249.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Cockerham, W. C., Sharp, K., & Wilcox, J. A. (1983). Aging and perceived health status, Journal of Gerontology, 38, 349355.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Dickie, J. R., Ludwig, T. E. & Blauw, D. (1979). Life satisfaction among institutionalized and non-institutionalized older adults. Psychological Reports, 44, 807810.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Farber, M. L. (1967). Suicide and hope: A theoretical analysis. Paper presented at the Fourth International Conference for Suicide Prevention, Los Angeles.Google Scholar
Fillenbaum, G. G. (1979). Social context and self-assessments of health among the elderly. Journal of Health and Social Behavior, 20, 4551.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Garrity, T. F., Somes, G. W., & Marx, M. B. (1978). Factors influencing self-assessment of health. Social Science and Medicine, 12, 7781.Google ScholarPubMed
Kasl, S. V., & Rosenfield, S. (1980). The residential environment and its impact on the mental health of the aged. In Birren, J. E. & Sloane, R. B. (Eds.), Handbook of mental health and aging (pp 468498). Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice-Hall.Google Scholar
Kozma, A., & Stones, M. J. (1978). Some research issues and findings in the study of psychological well-being in the aged. Canadian Psychological Review, 19, 241245.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Kozma, A., & Stones, M. J. (1980). The measurement of happiness: Development of the Memorial University of Newfoundland Scale of Happiness (MUNSH). Journal of Gerontology, 35, 906912.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Kozma, A., & Stones, M. J. (1983). Predictors of happiness. Journal of Gerontology, 38, 626628.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Kutner, B., Fanshel, D., Togo, A., & Langner, T. (1956). Five hundred over sixty. New York: Russell Sage Foundation.Google Scholar
Larson, R. (1978). Thirty years of research on the subjective well-being of older Americans. Journal of Gerontology, 33, 109125.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Lawton, M. P. (1975). The Philadelphia Geriatric Center Morale Scale: A Revision. Journal of Gerontology, 30, 8589.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Lawton, M. P. (1977). The impact of environment on aging and behavior. In Birren, J. E. & Schaie, K. W. (Eds.), Handbook of the psychology of aging (pp. 276301). New York: Van Nostrand Reinhold.Google Scholar
Lifton, R. J. (1979). The broken connection: On death and the continuity of life. New York: Simon and Schuster.Google Scholar
Lohmann, N. (1980). A factor analysis of life satisfaction, adjustment and morale measures with elderly adults. International Journal of Aging and Human Development, 11, 3543.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Maddox, G. L., & Douglas, E. B. (1973). Self assessment of health: A longitudinal study of elderly subjects. Journal of Health and Social Behavior, 14, 8793.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Neugarten, B., Havighurst, R. & Tobin, S. (1961). The measurement of life satisfaction. Journal of Gerontology, 16, 134143.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Palmore, E., & Kivett, V. (1977). Changes in life satisfaction: A longitudinal study of persons aged 46–70. Journal of Gerontology, 32, 311316.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Palmore, E., & Luikart, C. (1972). Health and social factors related to life satisfaction. Journal of Health and Social Behavior, 13, 6880.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Petrus, E. F. (1980). Copeland Oaks: Elderly integration and well-being in a retirement community. Dissertation Abstracts International, 41, 1802-A.Google Scholar
Pfeiffer, E. (Ed.) (1978). Multidimensional functional assessment: The OARS methodology—A manual. Durham, NC: Duke University Center for the Study of Aging and Human Development.Google Scholar
Pierce, R. C., & Clark, M. M. (1973). Measurement of morale in the elderly. International Journal of Aging and Human Development, 4, 83101.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Quinn, W. H. (1980). Relationships of older parents and adult children: A recursive model of a theory of qualitative dimensions of interactions and their effects on psychological well-being of the aged. Dissertation Abstracts International, 41, 2782-A.Google Scholar
Reker, G. T., & Wong, P. T. P. (in press). Personal optimism, physical and mental health: The triumph of successful aging. In Birren, J. E. & Livingston, J. (Eds.), Cognition, stress and aging. (Volume 1, Chapter 7). Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice-Hall.Google Scholar
Reker, G. T., & Wong, P. T. P. (1983). The salutary effects of personal optimism and meaning-fulness on the physical and psychological well-being of the elderly. Paper presented at the Western Gerontological Society, Albuquerque.Google Scholar
Research and Forecasts, Inc. (1980). A report on aging in America: Trials and triumphs. Monticello, IL: American Healthcare Corporation.Google Scholar
Rowland, K. F. (1977). Environmental events predicting death for the elderly. Psychological Bulletin, 84, 349372.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Schonfield, D. (1973). Future commitments and successful aging. I. The random sample. Journal of Gerontology, 28, 189196.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Spreitzer, E., & Snyder, E. (1974). Correlates of life satisfaction among the aged. Journal of Gerontology, 29, 454458.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Stotland, E. (1969). The psychology of hope. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.Google Scholar
Tiger, L. (1979). Optimism, the biology of hope. New York: Simon & Schuster.Google Scholar
Tissue, L. (1972). Another look at self-rated health among the elderly. Journal of Gerontology, 27, 9194.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Tobin, S. S., & Lieberman, M. A. (1976). Last home for the aged. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.Google Scholar
Wong, P. T. P., & Reker, G. T. (1982). Coping behavior and well-being in Caucasian and Chinese elderly. Paper presented at the Canadian Association on Gerontology, Winnipeg.Google Scholar