ERIC Number: ED282120
Record Type: RIE
Publication Date: 1987-Jun
Pages: 24
Abstractor: N/A
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: N/A
EISSN: N/A
The Role of Social Cognition in Support Friendships for the Aging.
Burgio, Maria R.
The presence of support friends is related to general well being in successful aging. Some social gerontological research concludes that the positive effects of interacting with support friends can be attributed to the quality of these relationships; however, there is a gap in our understanding regarding the mechanism which accounts for this effect. This study, part of a larger study of older adults' close relationships, attempted to show that social cognitive processes play an important role in the support-well being relationship. Older adults (N=142) living in New York City participated in the two-session study. In Phase I, subjects completed a questionnaire which included demographic and health questions, the Life Satisfaction Index-A, the Interpersonal Experience Questionnaire, and the Friendship Expectancies Inventory. In Phase II of the study, subjects were orally administered the Network Analysis Profile which measures both quantitative and qualitative aspects of the social network. The results indicated that the number of support friends was related to interpersonal affect, but not to life satisfaction. The significant results of the multiple regression analyses lend support to the view that assessments of others' behaviors affect interaction outcomes, supporting the early works of both Kelley (1955) and Asch (1946). Four tables and a five-page list of references are included. (Author/NB)
Publication Type: Reports - Research; Speeches/Meeting Papers
Education Level: N/A
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A
Note: Paper presented at the Iowa Conference on Personal Relationships (Iowa City, IA, June, 1987). Document contains small print.