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Differences Between Adjustment to and Enjoyment of Retirement

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  29 November 2010

Michael J. MacLean
Michael J. MacLean
Affiliation:
McGill University
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Abstract

Most research on psychological reactions to retirement considers adjustment as the main dependent variable. This paper suggests that enjoyment of retirement may be another psychological reaction to this phase of life. Differences between adjustment to and enjoyment of retirement for a sample of retired professional men are explored with respect to different phases of retirement. It was found that these two dependent variables are related but somewhat different reactions to retirement. Two independent variables, attitudes toward retirement and family interaction, contribute to both adjustment to and enjoyment of retirement. However, income was a significant predictor of adjustment whereas personality was a significant independent variable for the prediction of enjoyment of retirement. These results suggest that further research should consider other dependent variables in attempting to understand the psychological complexities related to the retirement role.

Résumé

La plupart des études sur les réactions à la retraite tendent à démontrer que la principale variable dépendante est l'adaptation. Mais il existe peut-être un autre type de réaction à cette étape de la vie, á savoir le plaisir d'étre à la retraite. C'est ce que la présents étude se propose de démontrer. Nous avons étudié les différences qui existent entre l'adaptation à la retraite et la jouissance de la retraite, grâce à un échantillonage composé de professionnels retraités et selon les différentes phases de la retraite. Nous avons trouvé que ces deux variables dépendantes sont liées, mais qu'elles sont en méme temps différentes. Deux variables indépendantes, l'attitude face à la retraite et l'interaction familiale, contribuent à l'adaptation ainsi qu'au plaisir d'étre à la retraite. Cependant, le revenu est un prédicteur significatif de l'adaptation, alors que la personnalité constitue une variable indépendante importante dans la prédiction de la jouissance de la retraite. Ces résultats nous amènent à penser que les prochaines études devraient prendre en considération d'autres variables dépendantes pour arriver à saisir la complexité des réactions psychologiques liées à la retraite.

Type
Articles
Information
Canadian Journal on Aging / La Revue canadienne du vieillissement , Volume 2 , Issue 1 , March 1983 , pp. 3 - 8
Copyright
Copyright © Canadian Association on Gerontology 1983

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References

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