PYC4805_ Developmental Psychology_ Assignment 4.

PYC4805_ Developmental Psychology_ Assignment 4. Definition of Life Satisfaction (LS) It is very difficult to separate terms such as ‘well-being’, ‘life satisfaction’ and ‘happiness’. ‘Happiness’ is, according to Sumner, “satisfaction with life as a whole” (as cited in Haybron, 2007). Haybron agrees that numerous theories accept that life satisfaction is identified with happiness, and even central to human welfare. He states that the error in this thinking is that it is possible to be satisfied with life, and not still feel happy all the time (Haybron, 2007). If we were happy all the time, we would not respond appropriately to life circumstances. Imagine, if you will, attending a funeral in this perpetually happy state? While it seems paradoxical, the key to STUDENT NO MISS HN NYAWO 3 finding LS is being able to adjust mental states and adapt psychologically to accommodate various circumstances (Haybron, 2007). Ripple, Biehler and Jacquish define life satisfaction as “the emotional component of their lives. It is defined as a reflection of their feelings about past, present and future” (as cited in Gerdes, Louw, Van Ede, & Louw, 1998, p. 522). This definition includes socio-economic resources, personality, and resilience, among other factors, and is a highly subjective emotional response to life events and situations. The Research Problem There are so many variables all influencing LS. South Africa is a country with large diversities between population groups. Independent research conducted across numerous countries find South Africans among the lowest scoring on life satisfaction scales, rating it at 4.9, down from 5.6 in 2004. The Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development average is 5.7 (OECD, 2015). National averages do not tell the full story, and individual populations may be experiencing vastly different attitudes in LS. To gain some insight into just how LS levels differs across populations, a sample from was taken of two elderly participants, of differing ethnic backgrounds. The research includes mediating variables such as biographical differences, internal and external locus of control, and aspects of personality, relationships and environmental influences related to LS during late adulthood. The person-environment interaction The effect that environment has on the person, and how they behave as a result, is known as the ‘Person-Environment Interactions’ (Cavanaugh & Blanchard-Fields, 2015, p. 129). However, it should be noted that personal choice and personal control are important factors to consider when researching LS. The competence and environmental press model show how an environment requires motor, cognitive, sensory-perception skills and physical health and mental strength to cope there. Demands that an environment makes on us are physical and social (Cavanaugh & Blanchard-Fields, 2015). As we age a decline in any of these domains means that we are unable to cope adequately, and risk being put at a disadvantage if we stay there. Life Satisfaction and Environmental factors STUDENT NO MISS HN NYAWO 4 The environment in which we age plays a significant role in how satisfied we feel with life. One theory calls this interaction between the environment and the role it plays in the elderly persons ability to live independently, ‘The Ecology of Aging’. Whether we can age in place, or need to move, depends on how our own needs are supported by the environment, as per the competence-environmental process described later under ‘Person abilities’. The environment referred to here is the physical environment but includes the feature of physical, social and psychological provisions required to meet with the changing needs as we age (Cavanaugh & Blanchard-Fields, 2015). Rowles (as cited in Cavanaugh & Blanchard-Fields, 2015, p.135), says that once we feel ‘at home’ leaving is distressing as ‘home’ has psychological connections to our wellbeing too. The family home, retirement villages, nursing homes each provide different resources and constraints to be considered. Life Satisfaction and Person-Environment Interaction Veenhoven (1996) describes the variable factors that affect life satisfaction levels as listed below: • Quality of Society: Human rights, political freedom and access to knowledge are vital to a society being able to self-determine. Disempowered and/or exploited communities are helpless, removed from resources and tend to develop an external locus of control, reinforcing a sense of apathy (Makiwane & Kwizera, 2006). This quality varies from community to community, within the same country. Participant 2 is from a previously (still) disadvantaged community. His score of 50 on the external LoC can be attributed to feeling helpless, disempowered and at the mercy of the previous governments will. Participant 1 shows a very low external LoC of 18. She grew up in a society that demanded accountability for any mistakes or successes and had a high level of self-determination afforded to her, while Participant 2 grew up in an environment with low self-determination opportunities. • Socio-demographic Variables: Social-status position, age, gender, occupation and education all influence the power and security of the individual. Veenhoven (1996) notes that interestingly, the higher dissatisfaction among the highly educated is probably due to a lack of jobs at that level. While Gerdes (1998, p. 522) found that there is no established link with age and LS, Enkvist, Ekström, and Elmståhl (2012) found, over a longitudinal study, that LS peaks around 65 to 70 years of age, and then declines after 80. The reason given is that LS is also linked to state of health. STUDENT NO MISS HN NYAWO 5 Declining health often means increased feelings of helplessness and a loss of social position and interactions too. • Personal abilities: Good physical health means energy and the ability to master one’s environment. As discussed earlier ‘Person-Environment Interactions’ demands that an environment makes on us are physical in nature too (Cavanaugh & Blanchard-Fields, 2015, p. 129 suggests a level of unavoidable apathy and dependency. His diabetes concerns him as he is unable to afford the appropriate diet as well as totally reliant on Government Clinic to provide his chronic medications. There have been times where the clinic has been out of stock and he has landed up in hospital to stabilise his insulin levels. He expressed feeling very vulnerable and unprotected. • Course of life events: These are events of chance and can happen to one person much more than the next. Illness, accidents, unstable working history marred by retrenchments, family deaths and splits. People with strong intimate ties have higher satisfaction scores. • Social participation: People who work are more satisfied when compared with a housewife, however retirement does not make life less satisfying. Working means that we are contributing to a community, as well as receiving affirmative feedback on capabilities (Stock, 2009). Research by Nakahara, J. (2013) concludes that volunteer working is a very important factor for LS especially if living alone. A theory on the value of social participation includes ‘collaborative cognition’ where there are cognitive benefits to be gained by others. Positive outcomes increase as a result, which in turn, improves LS (Cavanaugh & Blanchard-Fields, 2015, pp. 238 - 240). • Physical Activity: Research shows that some physical activity not only reduces preventable chronic illness and lower healthcare costs, it also improves balance and cognitive abilities (Gana, et al., 2013). Cognitive diseases such as demetia and Alzheimers can be significantly reduced by regular moderate exercise. Balance is an important result of muscle tone, and prevents accidents as well as enables more tasks to be self-completed. Personal factors shaping Life Satisfaction