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Gender, relationships, and social interaction among senior citizens

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Date Issued:
1996
Summary:
The present study was designed to examine the effects of gender and relationship on the quantity and quality of daily social interaction for senior citizens. Eighty-two women and 32 men (mean age 71 years) used the Rochester Interaction Record to record quantitative and qualitative information about every interaction which lasted more than 10 minutes for 2 weeks. Gender analyses revealed that same-gender interaction was most common for all participants (spouse excluded). Males and females reported that interactions with females only were more intimate than interactions with males only or with mixed-gender others. Spousal analyses showed that participants interacted with spouse as much as with same-gender others, however, spousal interactions were reported to be more intimate than same or opposite-gender interactions. Participants reported interacting with nonfamily more than with family. In addition, interactions with family were reported to be qualitatively equal to interactions with nonfamily. For future research it will be important to consider how these quantitative and qualitative characteristics of interaction relate to well-being.
Title: Gender, relationships, and social interaction among senior citizens.
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Name(s): Schatten, Elizabeth Christine
Florida Atlantic University, Degree Grantor
Richardson, Deborah R., Thesis advisor
Charles E. Schmidt College of Science
Department of Psychology
Type of Resource: text
Genre: Electronic Thesis Or Dissertation
Issuance: monographic
Date Issued: 1996
Publisher: Florida Atlantic University
Place of Publication: Boca Raton, Fla.
Physical Form: application/pdf
Extent: 56 p.
Language(s): English
Summary: The present study was designed to examine the effects of gender and relationship on the quantity and quality of daily social interaction for senior citizens. Eighty-two women and 32 men (mean age 71 years) used the Rochester Interaction Record to record quantitative and qualitative information about every interaction which lasted more than 10 minutes for 2 weeks. Gender analyses revealed that same-gender interaction was most common for all participants (spouse excluded). Males and females reported that interactions with females only were more intimate than interactions with males only or with mixed-gender others. Spousal analyses showed that participants interacted with spouse as much as with same-gender others, however, spousal interactions were reported to be more intimate than same or opposite-gender interactions. Participants reported interacting with nonfamily more than with family. In addition, interactions with family were reported to be qualitatively equal to interactions with nonfamily. For future research it will be important to consider how these quantitative and qualitative characteristics of interaction relate to well-being.
Identifier: 9780591177688 (isbn), 15362 (digitool), FADT15362 (IID), fau:12129 (fedora)
Note(s): Charles E. Schmidt College of Science
Thesis (M.A.)--Florida Atlantic University, 1996.
Subject(s): Aging--Social aspects
Older people--Attitudes
Older people--Psychology
Man-woman relationships
Held by: Florida Atlantic University Libraries
Persistent Link to This Record: http://purl.flvc.org/fcla/dt/15362
Sublocation: Digital Library
Use and Reproduction: Copyright © is held by the author, with permission granted to Florida Atlantic University to digitize, archive and distribute this item for non-profit research and educational purposes. Any reuse of this item in excess of fair use or other copyright exemptions requires permission of the copyright holder.
Use and Reproduction: http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/
Host Institution: FAU
Is Part of Series: Florida Atlantic University Digital Library Collections.