Aging and life experience in adulthood. Research data.

Research Questions/Hypotheses:

This project was based on the following research questions:

1. In a heterogeneous sample of young, middle-aged and old adults, which test attributes does the Selective Optimization with Compensation Questionnaire have?
2. Can age-related differences in the use of the SOK components be demonstrated? What is the association between the SOK components and indicators of subjective well-being?
3. To what extent are the SOK components able to be empirically proved and specified within the context of the socio-emotional selectivity theory?

Research Design:

Combined Standardized Survey Instruments (Combination of various standardized sections); single measurement

Measurement Instruments/Apparatus:

In this project, various instruments were used, some of which had already been further developed and tested in the Berlin Age Study (cf. Baltes & Lang, 1997). Besides the telephone interview, 6 questionnaires were part of the actual survey. Each of the instruments are listed in the following, in the order in which they were presented to the participants. Each of the descriptions can be looked up in the corresponding literature.

Personal data: Demographic data, health status, life satisfaction, notable life event (Lüdtke, Tomasik & Lang, 2003).

Questionnaire A (self descriptions): German version of the Philadelphia Geriatric Morale Scale (PGCMS; cf. Lang & Heckhausen, 2001; Lawton, 1975; Smith & Baltes, 1996); Future Perspectives Scale (Carstensen & Lang, 1996; Lang & Carstensen, 2002); Social Motives Questionnaire (unpublished document); German version of the 8-Item Short Form of the UCLA Loneliness Scale (Smith & Baltes, 1996; Russell et al., 1984); German version of the RYFF Scale of Psychological Well-Being (cf. Ryff &Keyes, 1995); German version of the “Personal Control Inventory” from Pulkkinen & Rönkä (1994; Lang, 2000); German version of the “Big Five Inventory” (John, Donahue, & Kentle, 1991; Lang, Lüdtke & Asendorpf, 2001); Assessment of Life Investment (Staudinger et al., 1996; Staudinger & Fleeson, W., 1995); Positive Affect and Negative Affect Scale (PANAS; Watson, Clark & Tellegen, 1988; Smith & Baltes, 1996); Selective Optimization with Compensation Questionnaire (Baltes et al, 1999).

Questionnaire B: Cognitive performance was assessed using the three scales perception speed (digit symbol and digit letter), word flow (words with the initial letter “s” and “find words”) and general knowledge (cf. Lindenberger & Reischies, 1999).

Questionnaire C (health): German version of the SF-36 Health Survey (Bullinger, Kirchberger, & Ware, 1995); German version of the Symptom Checklist–90–R (SCL-90-R; Derogatis & Cleary, 1977); German version of the Center for Epidemologic Studies –Depression Scale (CES-D; Radloff, 1977); Simple and Tandem Romberg Test (Steinhagen-Thiessen & Borchelt, 1996; cf. also Tinetti, 1986).

Questionnaire D (social relationships): Social Relationships Questionnaire (Kahn & Antonucci, 1980, Wagner, Schütze & Lang, 1996).

Questionnaire E: Card-laying technique for the assessment of social goals and partner preferences (Lang & Carstensen, 2002).

Questionnaire F: Yesterday Interview (Baltes et al., 1996).

Data Collection Method:

Data collection in the presence of an experimenter

• Individual Administration
• Paper and Pencil

Population:

Population of Berlin aged 20-90 years

Survey Time Period:

1996 to 1999

Sample:

Stratified, systematic Sample

Gender Distribution:

50% female subjects (n=240)
50% male subjects (n=240)

Age Distribution: 20-40 years, 45-65 years and 70-90 years

Spatial Coverage (Country/Region/City): Germany/-/Berlin

Subject Recruitment:

The addresses of the participants were initially obtained from the Berlin population register by means of a probability selection. Fifty addresses were drawn from each cohort of men and women born between 1907 and 1926, 1932 and 1951 and 1957 and 1976. All addresses were randomised again in a new random procedure. Of the 1531 young, middle-aged and old adults contacted on the basis of the random list, 1022 people (66.8 %) took part in a short telephone interview. Of these, 8 men and 8 women in each of the 60 birth cohorts were recruited to take part in the study. This strategy led to an ‘oversampling’, so that a total of 546 people took part in the study. Finally, in order to minimise possible ‘sampling effects’, only the complete data of the first eight participants in each age cohort and gender group were included. This made it possible to achieve a fully balanced design by age cohort and gender with N = 480 (31.4 %) participants (80 men and 80 women aged 20-40 years, 45-65 years and 70-90 years respectively).

If participants were not mobile for personal reasons (e.g. childcare, physical disability), they were either visited at home by an interviewer (N = 70) or taken by a taxi service (N = 82). All respondents received DM 50 for their participation.

Sample Size:

480 individuals

Return/Drop Out:

The 480 study participants correspond to 31.3 % of the total 1531 people contacted before the beginning of the study. Of these 1531 people, 1022 (66.8 %) took part in a short telephone interview at initial contact. Selectivity analyses show marginal effects of sample selectivity (d< 0,25). The study participants were more educated and happier with their health than non-participants (Lüdtke, Tomasik & Lang, 2003).