Psychological Perspectives of Helplessness and Control in the Elderly (eBook)

Front Cover 1
Psychological Perspectives of Helplessness and Control in the Elderly 4
Copyright Page 5
Contents 8
Contributors 16
Acknowledgments 18
Preface and Summary 20
Part I: Preconceptions and Emerging Issues of Control amd Agong 34
Chapter 1. Preconceptions of Vulnerability and Controls in old age: a Critical Reconstruction 36
Introduction 36
The Psychological Bases of Control Through the Life-span 37
Meaning and Definition of Vulnerability in Late Life 44
Interventions for Reducing Vulnerability and Enhancing Controls of Older Adults 56
General Implications of Control Constructs for Interventions with Elderly Adults 61
Conclusions 64
References 65
Part II: Life-Span Development and Controllability 76
Chapter 2. Controliability and Adapative Coping in the Elderly: An Adult Developmental Perspective 78
Introduction 78
Adaptive Cognition in Adulthood 79
Adult Development, Coping and Controllability 81
Controllability and Coping in an Applied Context 82
Conclusions 91
References 92
Chapter 3. Autonomy, Despair, And Generativity in Erikson's Theory 98
Introduction 99
A Formal Analysis of Erikson’s Theory 101
Summary of Erikson’s Theory 119
Implications for Helplessness and Lack of Control 122
Autonomy and Generativity in Cultural Context 127
Conclusions 129
References 130
Chapter 4. Actopn-Theoretical Approaches to the Development of Control Orientations in the Aged 134
Introduction 134
Internality and Externality of Control Orientations: Multidimensional Perception of Events in Old Age as an Aspect of Wisdom? 135
Action-Theoretical Perspectives for the Development of Con tro 1 Orientations in Old Age 138
An Action-Theoretical Approach to Development 140
A Research Demonstration 144
Control Experiences in the Life Course and Control Orientations of the Aged 145
Conclusions 149
References 150
Part III: Person-Environment Fit and Interaction Model of Control and Coping 154
Chapter 5. Person -Environment Transactions Relevant to Control and Helplessness in Institutional Settongs 156
Introduction 157
Personal Control and Institutional Living 158
Prevalent Conceptualizations Regarding Control and Institutionalization 159
Proposed Congruence Based Conceptual Model 165
Implications for Treatment and Intervention 178
Conclusions 180
References 181
Chapter 6. SIituational Perceptions of Control in the Aged 190
Introduction 191
A Theoretical Approach for Situational Control Appraisals 191
An Interactional Approach 194
Support for the Concept of Person-Environment Fit 195
Issues in the Application of the Framework 207
Conclusions and Suggestions for Intervention 209
References 210
Chapter 7. Control and Dependency in Residental Care Settings for the Elderly: Perspectives on Intervention 222
Introduction 223
Foundations of Control Enhancing Intervention Research 223
Caregiver Based Intervention 234
Control Relationships for Caregivers and Residents 240
Conclusions 245
References 245
Chapter 8. Congnitive Social Learning Theory of Control and Aging, Participatory Control and the Well-Being of Elderly Persons 252
Introduction 253
A Reconsideration of the Use of Control Constructs for Research on Aging 254
Lessons from the Early Applied Research on Control and Aging 257
Developing Trends Towards a More Interactional Interpretation of Psychological Control 260
A Reconceptualization of Control 267
Cognitive Social Learning Theory of Control: Why it Was Developed 270
Cognitive Social Learning Theory of Control: A Distillation 272
Participatory Control 279
Conclusions 288
References 289
Part IV: Reconstructions of Control 294
Chapter 9. Loss of Control Among the Aging?: A Crirical Reconstruction 296
Introduction 296
Theoretical Background to the Study of Personal Control 298
Critiques of the Personal Control Literature 304
Free Will and Determinism in Research on Personal Control 306
Beyond Determinism: A Research Demonstration 308
Critiques of Theories of Personal Control 316
Conclusions 320
References 320
Chapter 10. The Implications of Gender and Speech for the Experience of Control in Aging 326
Introduction 326
Gender and Aging 328
Aging, Gender and Separation Issues 336
Speech and Regulation 338
Narratives as Devices for Self-Maintenance 340
Conclusions 345
References 347
Part V: Psychosocial Amtecedemts and Sociological Pers[ectives of Control and Aging 352
Chapter 11. Power, Control and Well-Being of the Elderly: A Critical Reconstruction 354
Introduction 354
Key Definitions and Meanings of Power 355
Action, Interaction and Power Relations 357
Sources of Powerlessness in Late Adulthood 359
Power and Identity 361
Power, Its Distribution and Social Exchange 363
Power and Control Concepts as the Basis for Promoting Well-Being 367
Conclusions 369
References 370
Chapter 12. Enhancing Memory by Modifying Control Beliefs, Attributions, and Performance Goals in the Elderly 374
Introduction 375
Traditional Memory Training Programs 376
Self-Conceptions of Memory Aging 378
A Framework for Linking Self-Conceptions and Performance 380
Cognitive Restructuring Interventions 388
Prevention 394
Conclusions 396
References 396
Chapter 13. Creating Psychological and Societal Dependency in old Age 404
Introduction 405
Gerontological Theory and the Psychology of Helplessness 408
The Power of Social Policy 410
Dependency and Intergenerational Conflict: The Debate 419
Conclusions and Future Directions: Dependency or Empowerment 421
References 423
Chapter 14. Choosing to Improve Performance 430
Introduction 431
Age-Related Changes in the Effectiveness of Choice 434
The Nature of Compromised Cognition in the Aged 436
Choice and Differentiation 437
Summary and Conclusions 442
References 443
Chapter 15. Psychological Perspectives of Helplessness and Control in the Elderly: Overview and Appraisal 448
Introduction 448
Summary and Conclusions 450
Author Index 458
Subject Index 472