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Dialogical and Integrated Self in Late Adulthood: Examining Two Adaptive Ways of Growing Old
- Source :
- The International Journal of Aging and Human Development. 90:337-362
- Publication Year :
- 2019
- Publisher :
- SAGE Publications, 2019.
-
Abstract
- We examined two contradictory views of Erikson’s concept of ego integrity: as an outcome of the tension between integrity and despair, or as a dialogical process of balancing positive and negative life experiences. One hundred sixty-seven Czech older adults participated in the study. Dialogically integrated, outcome-integrated, and outcome-despairing participants were selected based on the Ego Integrity Scale and based on methods mapping life-reviewing dialogue. The three subsamples were compared in their psychological adaptation. The results showed that the dialogically integrated participants scored similarly in well-being and meaningfulness of life as outcome-integrated participants and better than outcome-despairing participants. However, the dialogically integrated participants were also prone to experiencing negative emotions. As they were older than the other two subsamples and reported worse physical health, we concluded that the life-reviewing dialogue helps them maintain a sense of meaning in life and a certain level of well-being. Hence, the results support relevance of the dialogical-process view.
- Subjects :
- Adult
Ego
Aging
05 social sciences
Dialogical self
Erikson's stages of psychosocial development
050109 social psychology
Self Concept
humanities
050105 experimental psychology
Developmental psychology
Life Change Events
Reminiscence
Psychological adaptation
Adaptation, Psychological
Well-being
Developmental and Educational Psychology
Humans
0501 psychology and cognitive sciences
Meaning (existential)
Geriatrics and Gerontology
Psychology
Life review
Ego integrity
Aged
Subjects
Details
- ISSN :
- 15413535 and 00914150
- Volume :
- 90
- Database :
- OpenAIRE
- Journal :
- The International Journal of Aging and Human Development
- Accession number :
- edsair.doi.dedup.....9e7e1879d6a5a59888a83997c661f354