PSY 402 Chapter 11: Chapter 11 - Relationships
13 Dec 2011
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Document Summary
People tend to have more friends and acquaintances during young adulthood than any other period. Older adults" life satisfaction is largely unrelated to the quantity or quality of contact with younger people, but strongly related to the quantity/quality of contact with friends. Friends are important because some older adults believe they are a burden to their family. Older adults have fewer relationships with people compared to young/middle aged adults. Contrary to popular belief (that the decline in social life is due to loss, etc), the socioemotional selectivity theory states that social contact is motivated by a variety of goals, including information seeking, self concept and emotional regulation. Older adults seek emotional regulation, so they tend to be more selective. Studies show that those who cope well with aging have a rich social network that allows relationship choice. Men"s and women"s relationships tend to differ in adulthood.
