Michèle Joulain

Coping with negative life events in old age: The role of tenacious goal pursuit and flexible goal adjustment

Objective: This study examines the relationships between negative life events and tenacious goal pursuit (TGP) and flexible goal adjustment (FGA), two fundamental modes of self-regulation suggested by Brandtstädter, and their effects on mental health. Methods: TGP/FGA, negative life events and depression were assessed in 670 elderly people living in the community. Hierarchical regressions were carried out to examine the effects of the two self-regulation modes and negative life events on depression. Results: Findings demonstrate the role of TGP and FGA in coping with negative life events. While both FGA and TGP were related to depression, FGA was found to have beneficial effects for the participants who had encountered negative life events. With age, people become less tenacious, but no conclusive relationship was found between flexibility and age. Discussion: Our findings support the importance of both modes of coping for the mental health of older adults. In particular, the ability to adjust goals was shown to be critical as a way of preventing the development of depressive symptoms following negative life events.

Perception of "appropriate" age for retirement among young adults, middle-aged adults, and elderly people.

The “appropriate” age for retirement as it is perceived by young adults, middle-aged adults, and elderly people has been studied. No respondents were surprised or had trouble expressing an opinion about the minimum and maximum “appropriate” ages for retirement. Representations of the “appropriate” retirement age vary primarily as a function of the perceived physical constraints involved in the occupation, and also depend on the age of the person being questioned; the younger the respondent, and lower the perceived “appropriate” minimum age. There was no tendency among the young adults to prolong the work life of older individuals. Nor was there a tendency to associate aging with the loss of intellectual capacities likely to lead to early retirement.

Does flexible goal adjustment predict life satisfaction in older adults? A six-year longitudinal study

Objective: The aim of the present study was to investigate the relationship between flexible goal adjustment and life satisfaction (as an enduring component of subjective well-being) using six-year longitudinal data from a sample of older adults.Methods: The study included 704 participants aged 63–97 years assessed four times over a six-year period. Simultaneous and lagged models were specified and estimated using structural equation modeling.Results: Both simultaneous and lagged coefficients indicated that a high score on flexible goal adjustment significantly predicted subsequent levels of life satisfaction.Conclusion: In line with successful aging theory, our findings support the view that the ability to adjust personal goals flexibly is a central resource when unattainable goals are encountered and it contributes to well-being in old age.

Similitudes et différences de perceptions chez des salariés hommes et femmes

Resume Cette etude traite de la perception differentielle des conditions de travail de salaries hommes et femmes. L’analyse porte sur les similitudes et differences des principales dimensions des conditions de travail (analyses en composantes principales) ainsi que sur la valeur predictive de ces dimensions sur la satisfaction au travail (analyses de regression). Similitudes et differences sont egalement questionnees en ce qui concerne les niveaux de sante, l’importance accordee a differentes spheres de vie et l’intensite des interferences travail / famille. Les hommes et les femmes semblent organiser de facon similaire un ensemble de conditions de travail. Trois facteurs sont retenus (Relation avec la hierarchie, Developpement et autonomie et Intensite du travail), dont les deux premiers s’averent predictifs de la satisfaction au travail pour les hommes et pour les femmes. Neanmoins nous relevons quelques divergences, a la fois dans la force de la prediction, et au niveau des items particuliers qui ne se comportent pas de facon identique selon les hommes et les femmes. Ces differents points sont discutes.

Longitudinal Patterns of Stability and Change in Tenacious Goal Pursuit and Flexible Goal Adjustment among Older People over a 9-Year Period

Using the dual-process model of assimilative-tenacity (TGP) and accommodative-flexibility (FGA), the study aims to identify trajectories of TGP and FGA over five time points within a 9-year period, explore the relationships between the trajectories of TGP and FGA, and explore if participants from distinct TGP and FGA trajectories differed in indicators of well-being and depression. Latent class growth analysis was used in a five-wave longitudinal design among an older population of 747 participants over 65 years. Results highlight (1) emergence of four trajectories for flexibility (low and increasing, moderate and increasing, moderately high and stable, and high and stable trajectories) and three trajectories for tenacity (low and stable, moderate and stable, and high and decreasing trajectories), (2) that older people belonging to particular trajectories of FGA are not more likely to belong to particular trajectories of TGP, and (3) that participants from the high and decreasing TGP and high or moderately high and stable FGA trajectories were characterized by high score of perceived health, satisfaction with life, and self-esteem and low score of depression moods. These results highlight that the heterogeneity in longitudinal TGP and FGA scores throughout the life span needs to be accounted for in future research.

La qualité de vie au travail dans les services de ressources humaines

Resume Notre interet porte sur le bien-etre au travail des personnels de services de ressources humaines (RH), qui sont amenes a gerer de nombreuses relations avec les individus comme avec la direction des organisations. 263 personnels de services de RH ont rempli un questionnaire estimant differentes facettes du travail tels la satisfaction et l’engagement professionnels, les conditions de travail, le niveau de sante. Les resultats montrent une qualite de vie au travail pour ces personnels, au-dela de l’expression d’une certaine penibilite (contraintes temporelles, surcharge de travail), mais aussi l’absence d’effets systematiques du statut, de l’âge et du genre sur les attitudes au travail et la sante. La complexite des dynamiques en cause dans la relation travail/sante est discutee et de nouvelles recherches sont proposees.

Bien-être à la retraite selon le genre et l’âge : lien avec la perception du travail ancien

Resume L’article porte sur les liens qui existent entre la satisfaction du travail ancien et la satisfaction de vie actuelle chez des retraite(e)s. Les aspects de l’ancien travail percus retrospectivement comme plaisants sont egalement interroges. L’ensemble des donnees est traite en distinguant les hommes et les femmes, ainsi que l’âge des participants. L’echantillon de notre etude est de 396 personnes (182 hommes et 214 femmes âges de 75,67 ans en moyenne). Les resultats principaux montrent a) que la satisfaction vis-a-vis de l’ancien travail est un predicteur de la satisfaction de vie a la retraite ; b) que la force de cette prediction varie selon la tranche d’âge, plus faible notamment chez les plus jeunes retraites ; c) une grande similarite entre les hommes et les femmes, quel que soit leur âge. Nous discutons des liens observes.

Événements de vie négatifs support social et santé mentale des âgés

Les objectifs de l’etude sont d’examiner 1) l’impact des evenements negatifs sur la sante mentale des âges, 2) le role moderateur du support social et 3) l’impact de l’âge sur ces facteurs. Nous avons evalue les evenements de vie negatifs, le support social et la depression de 703 personnes âgees. Une analyse de regression indique que l’impact des evenements negatifs et du support social sur la depression varie en fonction de l’âge des individus. Le role moderateur du support social est mis en evidence chez les plus jeunes. Face a des evenements negatifs ceux qui sont tres satisfaits de leur support social sont moins depressifs. En revanche, chez les tres âges, la satisfaction ou non du soutien social ne modifie pas l’impact negatif des evenements de vie sur la depression. L’hypothese selon laquelle les plus de 80 ans n’utilisent pas de facon efficace leur reseau social est soulevee et pose la question de la capacite adaptative des tres âges.