Ruth A. Weber

Convoys of social support: An intergenerational analysis.

Within the Convoy Model, social networks are viewed as dynamic hierarchic structures surrounding the individual throughout life. As a step toward empirical definition of convoy structure and function across the life span, a bicultural sample (N = 159) of young adult women, their mothers, and their grandmothers were queried. Comparable results were obtained across generations and cultures with regard to network size, the amount of support provided by the network, and the nomination of close family members as primary sources of support. However, there was a marked shift across generations in the balance of familial versus friendship relations. Younger persons included fewer family members and more friends in their networks, and they received more support from friends. These cross-sectional results are consistent with the Convoy Model and suggest that longitudinal research is warranted.

Intergenerational Support, Relationship Quality, and Well-Being A Bicultural Analysis

Exchanges of intergenerational support were assessed in a bicultural (Anglo/European-American and Latin American) sample of young-adult women, their mothers, and their maternal grandmothers. The goals of the study were (a) to describe the extent of supportive intergenerational exchange, with a particular focus on the balance of exchange across generations, (b) to evaluate the association of support with intergenerational relationship quality, and (c) to explore links between supportive exchange, relationship quality, and personal well-being. Support exchanges were imbalanced across generations, with middlegeneration women providing more support to mothers and daughters than they received. Support and relationship quality were linked for younger mother-daughter dyads, but perceptions of older women regarding relations with daughters were positively biased and not tied significantly to support exchange. Intergenerational relationship quality was associated with well-being for each generation. The cross-cultural consistency of these results suggests that they represent more general patterns of intergenerational relations.

Heat, hostility, and immune function: The moderating effects of gender and demand characteristics

It was hypothesized that demand characteristics are responsible for relations between heat and hostility in laboratory experiments. This hypothesis was tested by leading 28 males and 28 females to believe that heat would have either positive or negative effects and then exposing them to either moderately or very high temperatures. As hypothesized, the subjects who were led to expect negative effects from heat exposure expressed more hostility and evidenced less positive affect than those who were led to expect positive effects. In addition, higher levels of secretory immuno-globulin A were found in the saliva of the males when heat was portrayed in threatening rather than beneficial terms.

Computer Communication among Older Adults

Currently an estimated 2.8 million people aged 65 years or older need some type of assistance in carrying out everyday activities. Therefore, there exists a need to identify strategies which enhance the functional independence of older adults. There are a number of computer and communication technologies which can be used to provide support. For the potential of these technologies to be realized, they must be easy to use, easily available and accepted by older adults. The goal of this research project was to evaluate the feasibility of having older people use computers to perform tasks in their own home environment and to identify design parameters which facilitate their interaction with these systems. The study involved installing a customized e-mail system in the homes of 38 elderly women. Additional features were added over the course of the project. Data collected included: frequency of use, number and type of messages sent, communication patterns, time distribution of messages and frequency of features used. Overall the results of the study indicate that older adults are willing and able to use computers in their own homes if the system is simple, features are added in an incremental fashion and they are provided with a supportive environment.

Activities of Daily Living of the Elders — A Task Analytic Approach

Human factors research, which focusses on matching human capabilities and limitations with different environmental and task demands, has been wanting in the areas of elderly population. The main objective of this research was to use a task analytic approach to identify the demand profiles for a list of daily activities of the elderly. 66 independently living elderly persons were videotaped performing 25 separate activities of daily. A computerized task analytic approach was used to analyze the activities. Tasks were described through a set of descriptors such as action (e.g., reposition), demand (e.g., carry), object (e.g., broom), body part (e.g., hand), posture (e.g., bend), location (e.g., wash room) and frequency. Crosstabulations were performed on the data to determine pattern of relationships amongst the various task descriptors, both within, and between activities. In terms of demands, few activities account for a large proportion. Lifting/lowering, push/pull appear to be the predominant actions. Relationship among task, posture, body part and demands were significant.

Social Involvement with Peers in 2-1/2-Year-Old Toddlers Environmental Influences

Two environmental conditions hypothesized to influence toddler social involvement were investigated in this study, including the presence or absence of a barrier separating the children and the presence or absence of toys. Thirty-two same-sex toddler dyads were observed during a playroom session, with their mothers present, in one of four conditions. In the first, one child was given toys and a barrier separated the children; in the second, there was a barrier, but no toys; in the third, there were toys, but no barrier; in the fourth, both barrier and toys were absent. Mothers were asked not to intervene until the end of the session, when one of the mothers was asked to encourage her child to play or share with the other child. The presence of the barrier inhibited peer social involvement, even though it did not preclude auditory, visual, or physical contact between the children. Toy availability interacted with barrier presence to some extent. When one of the children possessed toys, less social involvement occurred in the presence of the barrier than in its absence. However, the children with toys in the barrier condition were more willing to share when requested to do so by their mothers than were those with toys in the absence of the barrier. The results suggest that social behavior is influenced by physical features of the environment as early as the postinfancy period. The barrier may have served to facilitate the regulation of territorial boundaries in the absence of adult intervention.