Hostname: page-component-586b7cd67f-dlnhk Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-11-26T16:28:25.341Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false

A Crisis Assessment Technique for the Evaluation of Life Events: Transition to Retirement as an Example

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  29 November 2010

Anne Martin Matthews
Affiliation:
University of Guelph
Kathleen H. Brown
Affiliation:
University of Guelph
Christine K. Davis
Affiliation:
Social Data Research Ltd., Kitchener, Ontario.
Margaret A. Denton
Affiliation:
Social Data Research Ltd., Kitchener, Ontario.

Abstract

This paper describes the design and utility of a ‘Crisis Assessment Technique’ for measuring the impact of selected life events as perceived by individuals who have actually experienced them. Using the transition to retirement as an example, the utility of such a measure for assessing the relative impact of given events, is demonstrated. Analysis of data on 300 recently retired men and women in south western Ontario suggests that retirement from one's work is not as critical a life event as previous measures suggest.

Résumé

Description du plan de recherche d'une “Technique d'appéciation des crises” et démonstration de son utilité pour mesurer l'effet de certains événements tels qu'ils sont perçus par ceux qui les vivent. Le passage à la retraite sert d'exemple et démontre l'utilité de cet instrument pour mesurer l'effet relatif de certains événements. L'analyse des données recueillies dans le sud-ouest de l'Ontario auprès de 300 sujets masculins et féminins ayant récemment pris leur retraite permet de croire que la retraite ne constitue pas un événement aussi critique que le suggéraient des meseures antérieures.

Type
Articles
Copyright
Copyright © Canadian Association on Gerontology 1982

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

Andrews, F.M., & Withey, S.B.Social Indicators of Well-Being, Plenum Press, 1976.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Bell, B.D.The Limitations of Crisis Theory As an Explanatory Mechanism in Social Gerontology, International Journal of Aging and Human Development 1975, 6, 153168.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Bell, B.D., Life Satisfaction and Occupational Retirement: Beyond the Impact Year, International Journal of Aging and Human Development 19781979, 9, 31–4.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Brim, O.G. JrTypes of life events, Journal of Sociallssues 1980, 36, 148157.Google Scholar
Friedmann, E.A., & Orbach, H.L. Adjustments to Retirement, In Arieti, S. (ed.), American Handbook of Psychiatry, New York: Basic Books, 1974.Google Scholar
Goldman, S.Social Aging, Disorganization and Loss of Choice, The Gerontologist 1971 11, 158163.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Goudy, W.J., Powers, E.A., Keith, P.M., & Reger, R.A.Changes in Attitudes Toward Retirement: Evidence From a Panel Study of Older Males, Journal of Gerontology 1980, 35, 942948.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Guttman, D.Life Events and Decision Making by Older Adults, The Gerontologist 1978, 18, 462–167.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Guttman, L.Some Necessary Conditions for Common-Factor Analysis, Psychometrika 1954, 19:149161.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Holmes, T.M., & Rahe, R.H.The Social Readjustment Rating Scale, Journal of Psychosomatic Research 1967, 11, 213218.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Kaiser, H.F. Image Analysis, in Haras, C.W. (ed.), Problems in Measuring Change. Madison: The University of Wisconsin Press, 1963.Google Scholar
Kim, J., & Kohout, F.J. Multiple Regression Analysis: Subprogram Regression, in Nie, N.H. et al. (eds), Statistical Package for the Social Sciences. Toronto: McGraw-Hill, 1975.Google Scholar
Lopata, H.Z.Woman As Widows: Support Systems. New York: Elsevier, 1979.Google Scholar
MacBride, A.Retirement as a Life Crisis: Myth or Reality? Canadian Psychiatric Association Journal 1976, 21, 547556.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
MacLean, M.J.Personal Major Events and Reactions to Retirement: Preliminary Findings, Canadian CounsellorlConseiller Canadiene 1980, 14, 8387.Google Scholar
MacLean, M.J.Personal Major Events and Individual Life Satisfaction in Old Age, Essence 1982, 5, 119126.Google Scholar
Masuda, M., & Holmes, T.H.Magnitude Estimations of Social Readjustments, Journal of Psychosomatic Research 1967a, 11, 219225.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Masuda, M., & Holmes, T.H.The Social Readjustment Rating Scale: A Cross-Cultural study of Japanese and Americans, Journal of Psychosomatic Research 1967b, 11, 227237.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
McFarlane, A.H., Norman, G.R., Streiner, D.L., Roy, R., & Scott, D.J.A Longitudinal Study of the Influence of the Psychosocial Environment on Health Status: A Preliminary Report, Journal of Health and Social Behaviour 1980, 21: 124133.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Paykel, E.S., Prusoff, B.A., & Uhlenhuth, E.H.Scaling of Life Events, Archives of General Psychiatry 1971, 25, 340347.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Pineo, P.C., & Porter, J.Occupational Prestige in Canada, Canadian Review of Sociology and Anthropology 1967, 4, 2440.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Rahe, R. The Pathway Between Subjects' Recent Life Changes and Their Near-future Illness Reports: Representative Results and Methodological Issues. pp. 7386 In Dohrenwend, B.S. & Dohrenwend, B.P. (eds.), Stressful Life Events: Their Nature and Effects. New York: Wiley, 1974.Google Scholar
Rahe, R.H., Lundberg, U., Bennett, L., & Theorell, T.The Social Readjustment Rating Scale: A Comparative Study of Swedes and Americans, Journal of Psychosomatic Research 1971, 15, 241249.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Ruch, L.O., & Holmes, T.H.Scaling of Life Change: Comparison of Direct and Indirect Methods, Journal of Psychosomatic Research 1971, 15, 221227.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Rummell, R.J.Understanding Factor Analysis, The Journal of Conflict Resolution 1967, 11: 444480.CrossRefGoogle Scholar