Session 5B: Vicissitudes of Growing Old

1st Global Conference

Friday 3rd July – Saturday 5th July 2009
Mansfield College, Oxford

The Positive Effect in Old Age: Is it Real?
Christie Chung
Mills College Psychology Department, Oakland, CA, USA

Although many studies have documented that older adults remember positive better than negative information, others have not found this positivity effect in their studies, thus raising the question of whether the positivity effect is a reliable cognitive phenomenon. In the present study, I examined the possibility of the positivity effect as a cohort effect. The positivity effect could be a cohort effect because older adults have been through more unfortunate events than most young adults; therefore, their positive attitude now may subsequently enhance their memory for positive information. My results, however, did not support this hypothesis. Participants who rated life as better now than before did not show better recall for positive information than those who rated life as the same or worse than before. This finding suggests that positive memory bias in old age is not a cohort effect. Moreover, older adults who have fewer depressive symptoms, tend to remember emotional information better than those who show more depressive symptoms. This important finding suggests that the positivity bias in memory may not be a universal cognitive change in old age. Factors such as older adults’ mood traits should be taken into account while evaluating their emotional memory performance.

Download Draft Conference Paper (pdf)

Many of the very old find themselves spending time in institutionalized settings such as old age homes or day centers, where they are somewhat distanced from society, rather than integrated into it. Their time is usually structured, and activities organized and directed by the staff often render the aged participants into passive objects rather than active subjects. This magnifies the experience of disempowerment and removal from the mainstream of social activity.

This paper provides insight into the process and themes of a dynamic, process group which was conducted at a day center for the elderly. The group discussed is unique in the sense that activity was unstructured, and participants were encouraged to take responsibility for the themes discussed. In the space provided by the group an interesting interplay between past and present, nostalgia and the here-and- now emerged both from a thematic and a developmental point of view.

The primary finding was that reminiscing about the past did not serve as an end in itself, but rather as a bridge to dealing with challenges and issues situated in the present. From the point of view of group process and development, reminiscing was more common at the out-start as a means of creating group cohesion, especially in view of the fact that the majority of the participants had a common past – the holocaust and the second world war. Later on as the group progressed, discussion of the past was drawn on as an escape from intimacy, or conflict, that arose in the group.

This paper shows that when elders are allowed to take control of their time and activities – nostalgia for the past did not serve as an end in itself, but rather as a means for dealing with the present and finding a voice in it.

Sartorial Identity of Professional Women Over Age 60
Claire Lacoste Kapstein
University of Rhode Island, Departments of Textile, Merchandising and Design and Gerontology, USA

Sartorial identity is an important component of our daily lives. Through clothing and adornment women establish their sense of protection, self, as well as their identity in society and throughout the life-cycle. The recent and global phenomenon of increased longevity, life expectancy, medical improvements along with the increasing visibility of Baby Boomers’ assertiveness and the rise of working older women have given the female population new empowerments and challenges. Using a multi-disciplinary approach to study the ageing population allows us to include the importance of sartorial needs, which was once ignored.

This study topic originated from years of inquiry into why older women’s status and apparel needs were not being served despite growing societal acceptance and improved socio-political policies. I explore the meanings of the lived experiences of modern professional women over age 60 as it relates to their sartorial behavior. The strategies these women elaborate on achieving their sartorial goals varies, and includes: visibility within the group (ageing working women), assimilation to that group while maintaining differentiation. Notions of temporality arise as these women express both the need to keep some connection with their past through the use or wear of certain items, fabric or colors as well as being able to project themselves into the future by trying new outfits, following new trends and testing new colors and materials.

The voices of these mature women contradict assumptions and pre-conceived ideas about ageing, ageing roles in the work environment, and apparel needs in older age. These participants were found to have similar attitudes to those usually found in younger cohorts. Chronological age and past ageist connotations are becoming non-entities. This study uncovers gaps in current knowledge about the sartorial needs and desires of ageing women and its resulting effect on self-identity and wellbeing.