SOCIAL-INTERACTION AND LIFE SATISFACTION - EMPIRICAL-ASSESSMENT OF LATE-LIFE PATTERNS

Problems of social and psychological adjustment in later life have been examined by numerous investigators. Some have found positive relationships between social interaction and personal adjustment, while others have found interaction and adjustment to be unrelated. The purpose of the research reported here was to examine how different ways of measuring interaction may affect its relationship with personal adjustment. Data were obtained in interviews with 218 noninstitutionalized persons aged 70 and older. Findings indicate that both the number of persons interacted with, and the frequency of this interaction, are of little importance for the adjustment of older people. The authors suggest that the quality, rather than quantity, of social interaction is crucial to understanding adaptations to old age.