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Centre for Policy on Ageing | |
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Cognitive processes involved in the evaluation of life satisfaction
— implications for well-being | | Author(s) | M Mehlsen, D Kirkegaard Thomsen, A Viidik |
| Journal title | Aging & Mental Health, vol 9, no 3, May 2005 |
| Pages | pp 281-290 |
| Source | http://www.tandfonline.com |
| Keywords | Well being ; Life satisfaction ; Mental health [elderly] ; Depression ; Longitudinal surveys ; Denmark. |
| Annotation | Extensive research has been conducted on the level and predictors of well-being in old age, but less is known about the cognitive processes used by the ageing individual to evaluate life satisfaction. To investigate the relationship between well-being in the present and previous decades in life and explore the cognitive processes involved in these evaluations, 203 Danish participants aged 70-85 were interviewed and their level of present life satisfaction and depressive symptoms measured. One year later, depressive symptoms were recorded for a follow-up sample of 65 of the participants. The results showed that evaluating old age as the best part of life was related to increased well-being. Evaluations of positive periods in life were based on general positive qualities, whereas specific negative events were given as reasons for nomination of negative periods in life. Deviations from this general pattern were related to lower levels of well-being. Use of comparison strategies to evaluate present life satisfaction was frequently reported, and the use of temporal comparisons was predictive of changes in depression over a 1-year period. The present study indicates that the cognitive processes used in the evaluation of life satisfaction are related to present and future well-being. (RH). |
| Accession Number | CPA-050610211 A |
| Classmark | D:F:5HH: F:5HH: D: ENR: 3J: 76K |
Data © Centre for Policy on Ageing |
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| ...from the Ageinfo database published by Centre for Policy on Ageing. |
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