Life Satisfaction Time Components among the Elderly

Abstract

This research examines the relative contribution of health, life staging, activity level, and socioeconomic status in predicting life satisfaction of the elderly as measured by a self-anchoring scale technique (Cantril, 1965). With these measures of life satisfaction (present, past, future, and average) and three difference scores (present in relation to the other three), a series of regression equations were established using a 1982 survey sample (N = 231). Health, continuity in work, and activity level were critical to present life satisfaction. Employment continuity helped explain improvement from past and higher future level of life satisfaction. Age was significant in predicting the estimate for the average same age person's life satisfaction and anticipated change in the future (both inverse relationships). Socioeconomic status, although generally unimportant to self-anchored scale life satisfaction, was significant in predicting the self's relative position to the average and the anticipated change in life satisfaction.