VALUES, EGO DEVELOPMENT, AND MORALE IN OLD AGE
Abstract
Given the inevitable losses associated with old age, it was thought that some value orientations would remain more open to the possibility of fulfillment and/or provide the elderly with more adaptive sources of meaning than others. Accordingly, it was the objective of the present study to determine whether values would be differentially associated with morale according to ego development among the elderly. In pursuing this objective, young-old elderly (age 55-74) were contrasted with old-old elderly (age 74+) as a means of exploring the differential impact of values in the context of the predicament of aging. This study also had the objective of adding to previous research in this area by including standardized instruments and exploring the effects of cognitive complexity in the value-morale analyses. Accordingly, ego development was included as a measure of cognitive complexity and each cohort group divided into two levels of cognitive complexity. A total of 124 subjects were administered the Study of Values, Fiske's Value Typology, the Sentence Completion Test of Ego Development, the morale and health scales of the Philadelphia Multi-Level Assessment Instrument and Duncan's SES measurement. Results were analyzed using planned comparisons, three-way ANOVA and multiple regression analyses, the latter included the variables of health and SES to determine the relative importance of the contribution of values with health and SES taken into consideration. Various values were found to be differentially associated with morale according to cohort and to a lesser extent, ego development. For the older cohort, higher morale was associated with values relating to religion, social service and work/achievement. Within the younger cohort, morale was found to be inversely related to values of ease and contentment, hedonism, and work/achievement. Results are interpreted in light of previous research and suggestions are offered for further research in this area.
Degree
Ph.D.
Subject Area
Psychotherapy
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