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While the socioemotional selectivity theory (SST) argues for a negative relationship between future time perspective (FTP) and subjective well-being (SWB), empirical studies have found contradictory results. The current study resolved the controversy by examining the indirect effect between FTP and SWB through preference of life goals. Age differences in the mediation effects were also tested. A total of 432 participants were surveyed for their FTP, life goals, depression, life satisfaction, and demographical background. The three components of FTP, extension (FTE), opportunity (FTO), and constraint (FTC), were examined respectively. Regression based mediation models were estimated to test the direct and indirect effects between FTP components and SWB. Moderated mediation models were adopted to test age differences in the above effects. Opposite direct and indirect effects between FTP components and SWB were identified. FTE and FTO were related to relatively fewer present-focused life goals, and then to lower life satisfaction and higher depression. However, FTE and FTO were directly related to higher life satisfaction. FTC was not significantly related to preference of life goals but had a direct positive effect with depression. Moreover, older age attenuated the positive direct effect between FTO and life satisfaction, as well as the negative effect between preference to present-focused goals and depression. The results highlight the critical role of life goal preference for understanding the complex relationship between FTP and subjective well-being. The differential effects of the three FTP components also suggest the importance to examine each component individually in future studies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Grandparents play a critical role in child-rearing both in the evolutionary history of human beings and in modern societies. The current study examined how grandparental involvement might contribute to young adults’ cognitive and social adjustment and whether grandchildren’s filial piety beliefs might moderate the impact of grandparental involvement. A total of 287 Hong Kong college students completed questionnaire measures of grandparental involvement, cognitive well-being, breadth and depth of friendships, and reciprocal and authoritarian filial piety beliefs. Results indicated that grandparental involvement was positively associated with young adults’ cognitive well-being and friendship quality even after controlling for parental influences, but only for young adults with strong filial piety beliefs. Moreover, reciprocal filial piety was a significant moderator for both cognitive well-being and friendship quality, whereas authoritarian filial piety only moderated the association between grandparental involvement and cognitive well-being. Findings highlighted the relevance of grandparental involvement in understanding youth development, and the importance of considering cultural values when investigating intergenerational interactions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim Many previous studies have investigated older adults' attentional preference toward different emotions. Interdependent self-construal is identified to be an important moderator of this phenomenon. However, despite the important social functions of emotions, the social consequence of older adults' emotional preferences in attention have not yet been examined. The current study tested how older adults' attentional preferences assessed in the laboratory influenced changes in their real-life social network, and how interdependent self-construal moderated this effect. Methods A total of 45 older adults aged 60-84 years participated in an eye-tracking session that measured their attentional preference to emotional faces versus neutral faces. After that, participants completed the Self- Construal Scale. Participants' social network was then assessed by the Social Convoy Questionnaire twice over a 2-year period. Results Interdependent self-construal significantly moderated the effect of attention to angry and sad faces on older adults' real-life social network changes. For older adults with a higher level of interdependent self-construal, more attention toward negative emotions was related to longitudinal decreases in the number of their emotionally close social partners. Conclusions The present study shows the important role of attentional preferences in older adults' social network maintenance. It identified a real-life macro level social outcome of a micro level laboratory phenomenon, which can be an important direction for future research. Geriatr Gerontol Int 2015; 15: 1079-1086. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Intimate relationship is a significant factor that influences older adults’ subjective well-being. Avoidant attachment reflects a basic working model regarding interpersonal relationships. The current study aims to test how age and gender moderate the effect of avoidant attachment to spouse on subjective well-being. Fifty-six married couples aged from 20 to 79 years in Hong Kong were recruited for the study. Their avoidant attachment to spouse and subjective well-being were measured by questionnaires. In general, avoidant attachment to spouse was found to undermine subjective well-being. More importantly, age significantly moderated the negative association between avoidant attachment and subjective well-being, but the direction of the moderating effect was opposite for husbands and wives. Compared with their younger counterparts, the detrimental effect of avoidant attachment on subjective well-being was weaker for older wives but stronger for older husbands. The results suggest that marital relationship may play different roles in different life stages for the two genders. In later adulthood, males may become more dependent on the marital relationship to maintain subjective well-being, whereas females can be relatively independent. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Objective. Population aging is a global challenge in the 21st century. As social relationships contribute significantly to older adults’ well-being and trust lays the foundation of constructive social interactions, it is theoretically and practically significant to examine age differences in trust in a worldwide sample. Method. The current study examined age differences in generalized trust and trust toward family members, friends, neighbors, and strangers, using data from the World Value Survey based on 57,497 individuals from 38 countries. Results. Age was positively related to generalized trust and trust toward the four target groups across the 38 countries. Age differences in trust toward friends, neighbors, and strangers were also moderated by contextual factors (i.e., income inequality, developing status, and individualism). Discussion. The results suggest that, across countries, enhancing trust toward others may be one mechanism through which older adults maintain emotional connectedness with others. Future studies are encouraged to investigate the mechanism underlying the age differences in trust. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Objectives. Previous studies have observed a rebound of marital quality in later adulthood. This study tested whether partner discrepancy was a mediator of the age differences in marital quality. Method. The present study assessed partner discrepancies and marital quality in 56 couples, 20–79 years old. Two levels of partner standards (ideal and expected standards) and 2 domains of partner characteristics (personality and support) were examined. Results. Husbands’ partner discrepancies, but not wives’, were found to mediate the curvilinear age differences in martial quality. Discussion. Consistent with the life-span theory of control, the results suggest that adjusting cognition about the partner is essential to the typically higher marital quality in later adulthood. The results also suggest that the level of comparison standards and the specific domain of partner characteristics should be considered in future studies. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]