The Social Psychology of Aging

Common stereotypes of the elderly include, for example, that they are in poor health, unhappy, lonely and fearful of crime. However, less than a quarter of the older adults in a recent survey reported experiencing these problems. In light of this research, how can such negative stereotypes be remedied? The Social Psychology of Aging challenges basic social assumptions inherent in studying old age. Caring for elderly parents, retirement planning and problems, and public policy changes needed to meet the challenges of our aging society are among the topics examined in this volume. Following an introductory summary of the themes and issues common in the study of the social psychology of aging, contributors present discussions in an order roughly corresponding to some of the tasks of later life, with additional chapters focusing on such issues as creating one's environment and maintaining positive affects, the adaptive role of possessions in late adulthood and the roles psychologists can play. The chapters are based upon presentations given at the fifth Claremont Symposium on Applied Social Psychology in 1988.Spacapan, Shirlynn is the author of 'The Social Psychology of Aging', published 1989 under ISBN 9780803935563 and ISBN 0803935560.