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Doseděl T, Menšíková T, Vidovićová L. Scaling Down the PGCM Scale to Assess Views on Ageing More Efficiently: Finding a New Alternative. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH AND PUBLIC HEALTH 2020; 17:E9414. [PMID: 33334064 PMCID: PMC7765537 DOI: 10.3390/ijerph17249414] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/15/2020] [Revised: 12/10/2020] [Accepted: 12/12/2020] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
The aim of the study is to present a new and efficient way of measuring the quality of life among older populations, with special attention to morale, positive outlook on life and ageing. The measure is based on the Philadelphia Geriatric Center Morale Scale (PGCM), originally consisting of 22 items. The growing numbers and proportions of older people among European populations has increased the need to obtain more reliable data on their needs, values, life experiences and overall quality of life. Using data from six surveys conducted in the Czech Republic, we have formulated a three-item positive outlook on life and ageing (POLA) scale. Our analyses are divided into three steps: (1) constructing the scale and testing its internal consistency; (2) testing the scale's external validity using mean comparisons and correlation coefficients; and (3) determining the factors affecting a positive outlook on later life, such as gender and education. We have confirmed that the three-item approach to measuring positive outlook on ageing as a part of morale is highly applicable to surveys, producing compelling results in assessing important quality-of-life sub-concepts, such as subjective health, subjective age, and loneliness.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tomáš Doseděl
- Faculty of Social Studies, Masaryk University, Joštova 10, 602 00 Brno, Czech Republic; (T.M.); (L.V.)
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Farivar S, Abouzahra M, Ghasemaghaei M. Wearable device adoption among older adults: A mixed-methods study. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF INFORMATION MANAGEMENT 2020; 55:102209. [PMID: 32834339 PMCID: PMC7402656 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijinfomgt.2020.102209] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/15/2020] [Revised: 07/25/2020] [Accepted: 07/27/2020] [Indexed: 11/13/2022]
Abstract
Using a mixed-methods approach, we analyzed the adoption of wearable devices among older adults. Perceived complexity of devices (specifically interpreting the outputs) is the most salient deterrent of adoption. The effect of cognitive age on adoption is moderated by subjective well-being (SWB). Cognitive age negatively (vs. positively) impacts the older adults’ adoption intention when their SWB is high (vs. low).
Recently, the popularity of smart wearable technologies, such as Fitbit, has significantly increased. There are numerous potential benefits in using these devices, especially among seniors. Yet, little is known about seniors’ adoption behavior. Through a mixed-methods approach, this study investigates the factors that impact seniors’ intention to use wearable devices. Results from an online survey and interviews showed that seniors’ perception of the complexity of working with these devices is a barrier to their adoption decisions. Looking more deeply into the role of complexity revealed that seniors’ concern about the complexity of reading and interpreting the output of wearable devices is the main deterring element. Furthermore, we explored the role of two important elements: seniors’ cognitive age, and the influence of their subjective well-being on their adoption behavior. Results demonstrated that cognitive age does not significantly impact use intention by itself; nonetheless, subjective well-being moderates its effect. This result revealed an interesting finding, which is that the influence of cognitive age on seniors’ use intention depends on seniors’ level of subjective well-being. When seniors’ subjective well-being is low, surprisingly, cognitive age increases seniors’ intention to use the device. These findings provide interesting implications for practice and future research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Samira Farivar
- Sprott School of Business, Carleton University, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
| | - Mohamed Abouzahra
- College of Business, California State University, Monterey Bay, United States
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Shenkman G, Ifrah K, Shmotkin D. The association between negative attitudes toward aging and mental health among middle-aged and older gay and heterosexual men in Israel. Aging Ment Health 2018; 22:503-511. [PMID: 28067548 DOI: 10.1080/13607863.2016.1274374] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVES The association between negative attitudes toward aging and mental health (indicated by depressive symptoms, neuroticism, and happiness) was explored among Israeli middle-aged and older gay and heterosexual men. METHOD In a community-dwelling sample, 152 middle-aged and older gay men and 120 middle-aged and older heterosexual men at the age range of 50-87 (M = 59.3, SD = 7.5) completed measures of negative attitudes toward aging, depressive symptoms, neuroticism, and happiness. RESULTS After controlling for socio-demographic characteristics, the association between negative attitudes toward aging and mental health was moderated by sexual orientation, demonstrating that negative attitudes toward aging were more strongly associated with adverse mental health concomitants among middle-aged and older gay men compared to middle-aged and older heterosexual men. CONCLUSIONS The findings suggest vulnerability of middle-aged and older gay men to risks of aging, as their mental health is markedly linked with their negative attitudes toward aging. This vulnerability should be addressed by clinicians and counselors who work with middle-aged and older gay men.
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Affiliation(s)
- Geva Shenkman
- a School of Psychology , Interdisciplinary Center (IDC) , Herzliya.,b Sheba Medical Center , Tel Hashomer , Israel
| | - Kfir Ifrah
- c School of Psychological Sciences and Herczeg Institute on Aging, Tel Aviv University , Tel Aviv , Israel
| | - Dov Shmotkin
- c School of Psychological Sciences and Herczeg Institute on Aging, Tel Aviv University , Tel Aviv , Israel
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Abstract
OBJECTIVE This paper examines the contribution of a new group of therapeutic interventions for older adults, based on a rudimentary life-review intervention. The intervention includes narrative elements together with drama therapy. The current study examines the influence of this therapeutic intervention on key indicators of mental health and psychological well-being among older adults. METHOD Fifty-five people (n = 55), ranging in age from 62 to 93, participated in a before-after study design. The following indices - meaning in life, self-acceptance, relationships with others, depressive symptoms, and experience of successful aging - were compared between an intervention group (n = 27) and a care-as-usual control group (n = 28). RESULTS Repeated measures analyses of variance showed a significant improvement over time in the experimental group. In addition, results also showed time-group interaction regarding the treatment's effectiveness for self-acceptance, relationships with others, sense of meaning in life, sense of successful aging, and depressive symptoms. CONCLUSION Our findings confirm that the new therapeutic intervention, which integrates life-review with drama therapy, increases self-acceptance, relationships with others, sense of meaning in life, and sense of successful aging; in turn, it also decreases depressive symptoms among older adults. The contribution of this research is based on the development of a therapeutic intervention that combines narrative together with drama therapy tools, which can be used in focused and short-term group treatments with the elderly.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shoshi Keisari
- a Department of Gerontology, Faculty of Social Welfare and Health Sciences , University of Haifa , Haifa , Israel
| | - Yuval Palgi
- b The Center for Research and Study of Aging, Department of Gerontology, Faculty of Social Welfare and Health Sciences , University of Haifa , Haifa , Israel
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Shrira A. Perceptions of aging among middle-aged offspring of traumatized parents: the effects of parental Holocaust-related communication and secondary traumatization. Aging Ment Health 2016; 20:65-73. [PMID: 25703266 DOI: 10.1080/13607863.2015.1013921] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/24/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVES Traumatized parents may transmit anxieties of physical deterioration and demise to their offspring. These anxieties can amplify negative perceptions of the aging process when the offspring enter old age. The current study examined how middle-aged offspring of Holocaust survivors (OHS) recount trauma-related communication by their parents, and how these reports are related to offspring's perceptions of their aging process. METHOD The study included 450 respondents at the age range of 50-67 (mean age = 57.5, SD = 4.6): 300 OHS and 150 comparisons. Participants reported parental communication of the Holocaust, completed measures of subjective successful aging, aging and death anxieties, and reported secondary traumatization assessing symptoms, developed as a result of a close and continuous relationship with a traumatized parent. RESULTS Latent profile analysis identified two profiles of parental Holocaust-related communication: intrusive and informative. Offspring who reported intrusive parental communication about the Holocaust perceived themselves as aging less successfully and were more anxious of aging and death than comparisons. Offspring who reported informative parental communication and comparisons did not differ in perceptions of aging. Secondary traumatization mediated these group differences, meaning, intrusive parental communication was related to higher secondary traumatization, which in turn was related to less favorable perceptions of aging. CONCLUSION These findings allude to the possibility that secondary traumatization mold negative perceptions of the aging process among middle-aged offspring of traumatized parents. Mental health practitioners may help OHS process fragmented and intrusive remnants of parental trauma, thereby diminishing secondary traumatization, and promoting more adaptive perceptions of aging.
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Affiliation(s)
- Amit Shrira
- a Interdisciplinary Department of Social Sciences, Faculty of Social Sciences , Bar-Ilan University , Ramat-Gan , Israel
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Silverstein M, Lowenstein A, Katz R, Gans D, Fan YK, Oyama P. Intergenerational Support and the Emotional Well-being of Older Jews and Arabs in Israel. JOURNAL OF MARRIAGE AND THE FAMILY 2013; 75:950-963. [PMID: 30100624 PMCID: PMC6086134 DOI: 10.1111/jomf.12041] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/08/2023]
Abstract
This investigation examined the cultural context of intergenerational support among older Jewish and Arab parents living in Israel. The authors hypothesized that support from adult children would be more positively consequential for the psychological well-being of Arab parents than of Jewish parents. The data derived from 375 adults age 65 and older living in Israel. Psychological well-being was measured with positive and negative affect subscales of the Positive and Negative Affect Schedule. Overall, positive affect was highest when filial expectations for support were congruent with whether or not instrumental support was received. Findings by cultural background revealed that, among older Jews, receiving instrumental support raised positive affect and stronger filial expectations lowered it. Among older Arabs, receiving financial support raised positive affect and receiving instrumental support lowered it. Culture appears to serve as a potent force in determining which types of intergenerational support functions are expected and accepted means of serving the everyday needs of older parents.
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Affiliation(s)
- Merril Silverstein
- Aging Studies Institute, Syracuse University, Lyman Hall, Room 314, Syracuse, NY 13244
- Office of the President, Yezreel Valley College, Yezreel Valley, 19300 Israel
- Department of Human Services, Yezreel Valley College, Yezreel Valley, 19300 Israel
- Center for Health Policy Research, University of California, Los Angeles, 10960 Wilshire Blvd., Los Angeles, CA 90024
- Department of Sociology, University of Southern California, 851 Downey Way, Los Angeles, CA 90089
- Davis School of Gerontology, University of Southern California, 3715 McClintock Ave., Los Angeles, CA 90089
| | - Ariela Lowenstein
- Office of the President, Yezreel Valley College, Yezreel Valley, 19300 Israel
| | - Ruth Katz
- Department of Human Services, Yezreel Valley College, Yezreel Valley, 19300 Israel
| | - Daphna Gans
- Center for Health Policy Research, University of California, Los Angeles, 10960 Wilshire Blvd., Los Angeles, CA 90024
| | - Yu-Kang Fan
- Department of Sociology, University of Southern California, 851 Downey Way, Los Angeles, CA 90089
| | - Petrice Oyama
- Davis School of Gerontology, University of Southern California, 3715 McClintock Ave., Los Angeles, CA 90089
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Katz R, Lowenstein A. Solidarity Between Generations and Elders' Life Satisfaction: Comparing Jews and Arabs in Israel. JOURNAL OF INTERGENERATIONAL RELATIONSHIPS 2012. [DOI: 10.1080/15350770.2012.647565] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/28/2022]
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Busseri MA, Sadava SW. A review of the tripartite structure of subjective well-being: implications for conceptualization, operationalization, analysis, and synthesis. PERSONALITY AND SOCIAL PSYCHOLOGY REVIEW 2010; 15:290-314. [PMID: 21131431 DOI: 10.1177/1088868310391271] [Citation(s) in RCA: 156] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
Subjective well-being (SWB) comprises a global evaluation of life satisfaction and positive and negative affective reactions to one's life. Despite the apparent simplicity of this tripartite model, the structure of SWB remains in question. In the present review, the authors identify five prominent structural conceptualizations in which SWB is cast variously as three separate components, a hierarchical construct, a causal system, a composite, and as configurations of components. Supporting evidence for each of these models is reviewed, strengths and weaknesses are evaluated, and commonalities and discrepancies among approaches are described. The authors demonstrate how current ambiguities concerning the tripartite structure of SWB have fundamental implications for conceptualization, measurement, analysis, and synthesis. Given these ambiguities, it is premature to propose a definitive structure of SWB. Rather, the authors outline a research agenda comprising both short-term and longer-term steps toward resolving these foundational, yet largely unaddressed, issues concerning SWB.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michael A Busseri
- Department of Psychology, Brock University, St. Catharines, Ontario, Canada.
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Katz R. Intergenerational Family Relations and Life Satisfaction Among Three Elderly Population Groups in Transition in the Israeli Multi-cultural Society. J Cross Cult Gerontol 2009; 24:77-91. [DOI: 10.1007/s10823-009-9092-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/21/2022]
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Bishop AJ, Martin P, Poon L. Happiness and congruence in older adulthood: a structural model of life satisfaction. Aging Ment Health 2006; 10:445-53. [PMID: 16938680 DOI: 10.1080/13607860600638388] [Citation(s) in RCA: 60] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/18/2022]
Abstract
The purpose of this study was to determine how health impairment, socioeconomic status, and social support relate to life satisfaction in later life. Using data from a sample of 320 older adults from The Georgia Centenarian Study, we constructed a structural model of life satisfaction. LISREL analysis was performed to test a two-factor model that included Happiness and Congruence and to determine the relationship of health impairment, socioeconomic status (SES), and social support to Happiness and Congruence, two measures of the Life Satisfaction Index-A (LSI-A). Data were found to provide a satisfactory fit of the model (GFI = 0.94; AFGI = 0.91). Social support and SES were found to have direct effects on health impairment. Health impairment was a key predictor and mediating variable of Happiness and Congruence. Findings also support a relationship between social resources and subjective well-being in later life. In particular, the association between social resources and life satisfaction was mediated through health impairment. These findings offer understanding relative to how health and social resources influence past and present assessments of subjective well-being among the elderly.
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Shmotkin D. Happiness in the Face of Adversity: Reformulating the Dynamic and Modular Bases of Subjective Well-Being. REVIEW OF GENERAL PSYCHOLOGY 2005. [DOI: 10.1037/1089-2680.9.4.291] [Citation(s) in RCA: 134] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/08/2022]
Abstract
Addressing diversity and apparent contradictions in manifestations of happiness, this article delineates subjective well-being (SWB) as a dynamic system in the face of possible adversity. SWB constitutes a favorable psychological environment that regulates the hostile-world scenario, defined as one's image of actual or potential threats to one's life or integrity. SWB operates in various modules: experiential, wherein private awareness of SWB dwells on relevant core themes; declarative, wherein public self-reports of SWB function as social behavior; differential, wherein synchronic dimensions of SWB form well-being types; and narrative, wherein diachronic valences of SWB construct trajectories along one's life story. By explicating the regulatory and configurational nature of SWB, the present conceptualization emphasizes the process, rather than the outcome, of pursuing happiness.
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Wong E, Woo J, Hui E, Ho SC. Examination of the Philadelphia Geriatric Morale Scale as a Subjective Quality-of-Life Measure in Elderly Hong Kong Chinese. THE GERONTOLOGIST 2004; 44:408-17. [PMID: 15197295 DOI: 10.1093/geront/44.3.408] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/14/2022] Open
Abstract
PURPOSE We examine the psychometric properties of the Philadelphia Geriatric Morale Scale (PGMS) in an elderly Chinese population in Hong Kong. DESIGN AND METHODS The study consisted of two cohorts: (a) 759 participants aged 70 years and older living in the community who were recruited as part of a territory-wide health survey and interviewed in 1993-1994; and (b) 388 participants living in long-term-care institutions in 1995-1996. Participants who were cognitively impaired (Abbreviated Mental Test score less than 7) or who could not answer questions for other reasons were excluded. The 15-item PGMS was administered. The Rasch dichotomous model was used to assess the validity of the PGMS, and the 15-item Geriatric Depression Scale, previously validated in Chinese, was also administered to examine the concurrent validity. RESULTS A confirmatory factor analysis identified three underlying factors similar to findings among Caucasians; however, not all the goodness-of-fit indices were acceptable. An exploratory factor analysis using principal axis factoring and promax rotation revealed two underlying factors that explained 35% of the total variance: reconciled aging and unstrained affect. Some items were redundant when applied to the institutional sample. Concurrent validity was demonstrated by the good correlation between the reconciled aging and unstrained affect domains and the Geriatric Depression Scale (r = -0.72 and r = -0.56 respectively). Female gender, older age, and residence in institutions were associated with lower morale. IMPLICATIONS The PGMS is a valid quality-of-life measure in elderly Hong Kong Chinese persons, but its psychometric properties are slightly different from those for Caucasians.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eric Wong
- Centre for Clinical Trials and Epidemiological Research, The Chinese University of Hong Kong
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Visual impairments, functional and health status, and life satisfaction among elderly bedouins in Israel. AGEING INTERNATIONAL 2004. [DOI: 10.1007/s12126-004-1010-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
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de Gracia Blanco M, Garre Olmo J, Arbonès MM, Monreal Bosch P. Analysis of Self-Concept in Older Adults in Different Contexts. EUROPEAN JOURNAL OF PSYCHOLOGICAL ASSESSMENT 2004. [DOI: 10.1027/1015-5759.20.4.262] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
Abstract
Summary: Self-concept is a construct consisting of a group of specific self-perceptions that are hierarchically organized. Age-associated changes of self-concept are related to the individual's perception of the changes occurring throughout the aging process. The authors examined external validity and internal consistency of an instrument that has been developed to assess self-concept in older adults and examined self-concept's characteristics in two different contexts. Results confirm the multidimensionality of the scale and show a satisfactory external validity, indicating good discriminatory capacity. Findings support the hypothesis that older people who live in a nursing home have a poor self-esteem, self-concept, and psychological well-being and have a greater presence of depressive symptoms than people who live in their own home.
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Keyes CLM, Shmotkin D, Ryff CD. Optimizing well-being: The empirical encounter of two traditions. J Pers Soc Psychol 2002. [DOI: 10.1037/0022-3514.82.6.1007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1397] [Impact Index Per Article: 63.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/08/2022]
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Religiousness and Subjective Well-Being Among Jewish Female Residents of Old Age Homes in Israel. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2002. [DOI: 10.1300/j078v13n01_04] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/18/2022]
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Abstract
The purpose of this study was to answer the research question. What is the structure of the lived experience of contentment? The participants were 10 women volunteers. The Parse research method, a phenomenological-hermeneutic method, was used to uncover the meaning of contentment. The major finding of this study is the structure: Contentment is a satisfying calmness amid the arduous as resolute liberty arises with benevolent engagements. The structure provides knowledge about contentment and its connection to health and quality of life. It is discussed in relation to the principles and concepts of human becoming and in relation to how it can inform future research and practice.
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Abstract
There are two aims in this article, to define subjective quality of life and to suggest a way to standardize its measurement to enable comparisons to be made across studies. One of the unresolved issues in gerontological research has concerned the definition and measurement of quality of life (Lawton, 1991). This article focuses on subjective well-being, one of the four components proposed by Lawton (1991). There seems to be a growing consensus that most scales of well-being have at least two concepts in common, positive and negative affect. To test this hypothesis, two well-being scales, the Philadelphia Geriatric Center Morale Scale (Lawton, 1975) and the Center for Epidemiological Studies-Depression Scale (Radloff, 1977), were subjected to confirmatory factor analyses, using data on 1717 participants in the Australian Longitudinal Study of Ageing aged between 70 and 103 years. Each scale was shown to contain factors of positive and negative affect. The article concludes with a suggestion that the measurement of quality of life in elders should include, at a minimum, scales of positive and negative affect as well as other measures relevant to the aspect of quality of life under consideration.
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