Relationship of Aging and Sense of Control - Research Paper Example

?Introduction Old age brings along weaknesses both at a physical and mental level due to the natural degradation of the human body. With the physicaland mental weakness that comes along with age, it is often an issue of whether or not the elderly likewise face a weakness in disposition and a perceived loss of sense of control. This usually occurs at a time when an elderly is most often in need of physical assistance from others. This paper aims to investigate the plausibility and possibility of such an occurrence. The investigation poses the question: Does sense of control decline over a period of time as people get older? In order to answer this particular research question, the following research hypotheses were tested: Ho: Sense of control remains the same over a period of time as people get older. Ha: Sense of control declines over a period of time as people get older. Review of Related Literature Rodin (1986) claims that health and a sense of control experience a more intensified relationship as people grow older. Such an occurrence is brought about due to the significant increase in experiences that are related to control when people reach old age, the alteration effect of age on the relationship between control and a number of health factors, and the influence of age on the relationship of control and health-related behaviors or the need for medical assistance (Rodin, 1986). In fact, research has shown that people report an increased sense of loss of control as they age (Schieman, 2001). Schieman (2001) further reports that this sense of loss of control is affected by education and impairment. Such views are supported by Wolinsky and Stump (1996) and Herd (2010) who point out the significant decrease in levels of sense of control among older people. Incidentally, the literature is not unanimous when it comes to the actual relationship between age and sense of control. Studies by Mirowsky (1995) and Wolinsky and Stump (1996) utilized particular restrictions in age ranges and non-probabilistic sampling methods in their research. The issues pertaining to age and sense of control are important to note because studies indicate that as older people feel certain restrictions on their capacities to perform particular activities, their health likewise experience a pitfall (Rodin, 1986). On an opposite level, activities that allow the elderly to exercise control prove to benefit them health-wise (Ibid.). Thus, a clear insight as to the true relationship between age and sense of control needs to be established so that future welfare of the elderly may be appropriately attended to. Methodology The data for this study was taken from the Aging, Status, and Sense of Control (ASOC) Survey, involving a three-wave panel survey with fixed 3-year intervals and repeated assessments of the same variables (Mirowsky & Ross, 2001). While the original survey contained data on physical health, use of medical services, work status, sense of control, sense of victimhood versus control, social support and participation, personal and household demographics, marital and family relations, socioeconomic status, and history of adversity, this investigation will merely utilize data which provide information on the level of sense of control of respondents. The dependent variable in this study is the sense of control aspect. In order to measure the sense of control of respondents, an eight item Mirowsky-Ross based scale was used. Eight items from the ASOC Data set were used, having the following variable names: FATGOOD2, FATLUCK2, RESPSUC2, RESPANY2, FATPROB2, FATBAD2, RESPMIS2, and RESPFAI2. These variable names correspond to the following items: (i) Claiming control over good outcomes: (a) “I am responsible for my own successes” and (b) “I can do just about anything I really set my mind to;” (ii) Claiming control over bad outcomes: (c) “My misfortunes are the result of mistakes I have made” and (d) “I am responsible for my failures;” (iii) Denying control of good outcomes: (e) “The really good things that happen to me are mostly luck” and (f) “There’s no sense planning a lot-if something good is going to happen, it will;” and, (iv) Denying control over bad outcomes: (g) “Most of my problems are due to bad breaks” and (h) “I have little control over the bad things that happen to me.” On the other hand, the independent variable is Age, which was computed by subtracting the respondent’s year of birth from the year that the baseline survey was completed, which was in 1995. The coded data were analyzed using logistic regression through SPSS and observed behavior of the data were noted down and explained in the following section of this paper. Results Table 1 shows the descriptive statistics of the respondents of the study. Findings show that on the average, the respondents were around 50 years old (SD = 17.5). In addition, the respondents’ mean sense of control was on an average level (Mean = 3.05, SD = .39). Moreover, there exists a negative relationship between age and sense of control, r = -0.975, p < .01. This means that for every year that a person gets older, the odds of being in a higher level on the sense of control scale decrease by 2.5%. Table 1. Descriptive Statistics (Mean and Standard Deviation) Descriptive Statistics Mean Std Dev Age 50.3 17.5 Perceived Health 4.2 0.9 Life Expectancy 81.2 11.8 Chronic Conditions 1.2 0.3 Functional Health Impairment 1.1 1.3 Volunteer 0.4 0.5 Control (t = 1) 3.0 0.4 Sense of control 3.0 0.4 Discussion Findings from this investigation further support earlier studies made which identifies age as a factor in the loss of sense of control among individuals (Mirowsky, 1995; Wolinsky and Stump, 1996; Schieman, 2001). Moreover, Mirowsky (1995) strongly point to health deterioration in old age as the reason for the decline in an elderly’s sense of control. As people age, physical activities are limited and mental acuity is not as sharp as it used to be. Other than a general deterioration in physical health, a number of disabilities and impairments likewise manifest in old age. As such, an old person’s ability to engage not only in strenuous physical activities, but also in ordinary day-to-day activities, is greatly limited (Mirowsky, 1995). Conclusion and Recommendation Age is a significant factor in the loss of sense of control among old people due to a physical and mental decline, and the manifestations of impairments and disabilities. As if in a vicious cycle, health also declines as sense of control is lost among old people. Thus, it is important that old people are made to engage in activities and a social environment that provide them with opportunities to exercise their sense of control. This will be beneficial in ensuring their healthier and happier disposition even in the twilight of their lives. References Herd, P. (2010). Education and health in late-life among high school graduates: Cognitive versus psychological aspects of human capital. Journal of Health and Social Behavior , 51, 478-499. Mirowsky, J. (1995). Age and the sense of control. Social Psychology Quarterly , 58 (1), 31-43. Mirowsky, J., & Ross, C. (2001). Age and the effect of economic hardship on depression. Journal of Health and Social Behavior , 42, 132-150. Rodin, J. (1986). Aging and health: Effects of the sense of control. Science , 233, 1271-1276. Schieman, S. (2001). Age, education, and the sense of control. Research on Aging , 23 (2), 153-178. Wolinsky, F., & Stump, T. (1996). Age and the sense of control among older adults. Journal of Gerontology , S217-S220. Read More