Mid-career change in academia: The decision to become an administrator

This study explored the reasons why professors would leave their teaching/ research occupations to begin new careers as administrators. Valence-Instrumentality-Expectancy theory of occupational preference and choice was used as a framework to examine mid-career change among professors and department chairmen at a major university. Data showed that professors' intentions to change careers and become administrators could be explained by the theory. Analyses of job characteristics demonstrated that professors who want a mid-career change are primarily attracted by the power and formal authority vested in the administrative position, while professors who prefer to remain in their career paths do so because of the autonomy it offers.     

Emotion, physiology, and expression in old age

Emotion-specific autonomic nervous system (ANS) activity was studied in 20 elderly people (age 71-83 years, M = 77) who followed muscle-by-muscle instructions for constructing facial prototypes of emotional expressions and relived past emotional experiences. Results indicated that (a) patterns of emotion-specific ANS activity produced by these tasks closely resembled those found in other studies with younger Ss, (b) the magnitude of change in ANS measures was smaller in older than in younger Ss, (c) patterns of emotion-specific ANS activity showed generality across the 2 modes of elicitation, (d) emotion self-reports and spontaneous production of emotional facial expressions that occurred during relived emotional memories were comparable with those found in younger Ss, (e) elderly men and women did not differ in emotional physiology or facial expression, and (f) elderly women reported experiencing more intense emotions when reliving emotional memories than did elderly men.     

Taking time seriously. A theory of socioemotional selectivity

Socioemotional selectivity theory claims that the perception of time plays a fundamental role in the selection and pursuit of social goals. According to the theory, social motives fall into 1 of 2 general categories--those related to the acquisition of knowledge and those related to the regulation of emotion. When time is perceived as open-ended, knowledge-related goals are prioritized. In contrast, when time is perceived as limited, emotional goals assume primacy. The inextricable association between time left in life and chronological age ensures age-related differences in social goals. Nonetheless, the authors show that the perception of time is malleable, and social goals change in both younger and older people when time constraints are imposed. The authors argue that time perception is integral to human motivation and suggest potential implications for multiple subdisciplines and research interests in social, developmental, cultural, cognitive, and clinical psychology.     

Poignancy: mixed emotional experience in the face of meaningful endings

The experience of mixed emotions increases with age. Socioemotional selectivity theory suggests that mixed emotions are associated with shifting time horizons. Theoretically, perceived constraints on future time increase appreciation for life, which, in turn, elicits positive emotions such as happiness. Yet, the very same temporal constraints heighten awareness that these positive experiences come to an end, thus yielding mixed emotional states. In 2 studies, the authors examined the link between the awareness of anticipated endings and mixed emotional experience. In Study 1, participants repeatedly imagined being in a meaningful location. Participants in the experimental condition imagined being in the meaningful location for the final time. Only participants who imagined "last times" at meaningful locations experienced more mixed emotions. In Study 2, college seniors reported their emotions on graduation day. Mixed emotions were higher when participants were reminded of the ending that they were experiencing. Findings suggest that poignancy is an emotional experience associated with meaningful endings.     

ENHANCING THE SOCIAL ENVIRONMENTS OF ELDERLY NURSING HOME RESIDENTS: ARE HIGH RATES OF INTERACTION ENOUGH?

We investigated the social validity of a common intervention (i.e., serving food during a social hour) that has been reported to facilitate social interaction among nursing home residents. Using a group reversal design, rates of interaction were measured. In addition, the vocal content of the interactions was recorded and coded by raters blind to condition. Rates of interaction more than doubled during the treatment phases, but ineffective vocal behavior accounted for the bulk of the increase. Results suggest the need to examine the utility of such programs in nursing homes.     

Path analysis of variables affecting 36-month outcome in a population of multi-risk children

Path analysis was employed with data collected during a longitudinal neuro-behavioral follow-up study of multi-risk children. The relative impact of maternal medical history, drug abuse, and day-to-day functioning during pregnancy on the course of labor and delivery and on neonatal outcome was examined. The subsequent impact of each of these sets of variables on the child's developmental status at 36 months was then explored. An additional factor, which incorporated postnatal environmental and family functioning characteristics, was also included in the model. Maternal drug abuse had a significant effect on the course of labor and delivery, due in part to the impact of maternal drug abuse on family functioning. The results indicate that in this multi-risk population, environmental and psychosocial variables are important predictors of the child's developmental prospects.