Friendship, Social Interaction and Subjective Well-Being of Older Men in an Institutional Setting

The relationship of informal social interaction to subjective well-being of older adults was investigated using the PGC Morale Scale, the MACC Behavioral Adjustment Scale, and a sociometric interview which provided measures of peer friendship and frequency of social interaction. Respondents were fifty-four males aged fifty-two to ninety years, who were residents of a Veterans Administration domiciliary. The predicted positive correlation was obtained between morale and frequency of social interaction with persons outside the institution, but men's friendships within the institution were not related to morale. As expected, men who reported an overall change in frequency of social interaction scored substantially lower on the PGC Morale Scale than those who perceived no change. Behavioral adjustment ratings of participants made by a staff member were positively correlated with friendship and social interaction scores. The results were thus consistent with a continuity model of aging, in which maintenance of accustomed levels of social interaction is related to subjective well-being.