Document Type : Research Article

Abstract

The present study has investigated the sources and domains that give meaning to old people’s life, from their point of view, presence of and search for meaning and the differences between women and men in these components. Old people aged over 60 in Tehran formed the statistical population of this research. From this population 287 old individuals, aged over 60 years (M: 67.43, Std: 4.75, 54% females), were selected using available sampling method and they completed two instruments of the Schedule for Meaning in Life Evaluation and Meaning in Life Questionnaire. Chi square and analysis of variance tests were applied to analyze the data. The results showed that “family” (92.3%) and “partnership” (54.7%) are the areas that have been reported most frequently as sources of meaning by old people. Moreover, two new categories of sources of meaning in life have been identified in this study, using content analysis method: “morality” and “the need for social approval”. Old female and male participants differed in the frequency of mentioning some of the sources of meaning and the dimension of search for meaning. These findings have been discussed in the context of developmental and meaning in life theories.

Keywords

تقوی، نغمه؛ آزاد فلاح، پرویز؛  موتابی، فرشته و طلایی، ابراهیم (1394). تحلیل کیفی بهزیستی فاعلی از دیدگاه دختران نوجوان. فصلنامه روان‌شناسی تحولی: روان‌شناسان ایرانی، 43، 246-229.
رستگار خالد، امیر (1389). تفاوت‌های جنسیتی در انگیزش و پیشرفت تحصیلی. فصلنامه شورای فرهنگی اجتماعی زنان، 13، 50، 124-81.
سودانی، منصور؛ مهرابی‌زاده‌ی هنرمند، مهناز و فرحبخش، سارا (1388). بررسی اثربخشی آموزش به شیوه شناختی-رفتاری بر بهبود عملکرد خانواده زوجین ناسازگار. مجله‌ی دست‌آوردهای روان‌شناختی (علوم تربیتی و روان‌شناسی)، 4 (2)، 86-71.
شناور، فضل‌الله؛ بشلیده، کیومرث؛ هاشمی، سیداسماعیل و نعامی، عبدالزهرا (1394). بررسی نقش میانجی‌گری تعارض کار-خانواده در رابطه بین استرس و حمایت اجتماعی با خشنودی شغلی و خشنودی خانوادگی. مجله‌ی دست‌آوردهای روان‌شناختی (علوم تربیتی و روان‌شناسی)، 4 (1)، 132-111.
قربان‌پور، مسعود و اسماعیلی، علی (1391).  تعیین اثربخشی معنادرمانی بر اضطراب مرگ در سالمندان. فرهنگ مشاوره و روان درمانی، 9، 68-53.
مرتضوی، شهرناز (1381). ارتباطات خانوادگی، ارزش‌های فرهنگی و خودپنداره نمونه‌هایی از دانشجویان و کارمندان یک دانشگاه ایرانی (شهید بهشتی) و یک دانشگاه آمریکایی (پرتلند). قرارداد پژوهشی با معاونت پژوهشی دانشگاه شهید بهشتی.
مرتضوی، شهرناز (1386). روان‌شناسی اجتماعی: نمونه‌هایی از پژوهش‌های درون و بین فرهنگی. تهران: مرکز چاپ و انتشارات دانشگاه شهید بهشتی.
معتمدی شلمزاری، عبداله؛ اژه‌ای، جواد؛ آزادفلاح، پرویز و کیامنش، علیرضا (1384). بررسی رابطه بین گرایش‌های مذهبی و سالمندی موفق. دانشور رفتار، 12 (10)، 56-43.
مومنی، خدامراد؛ کرمی، سمیرا و مجذوبی، محمدرضا (1392). مقایسه سبک زندگی، حرمت خود و سلامت روانی سالمندان تنها، غیر تنها و مقیم سرای سالمندان. فصلنامه روان‌شناسی تحولی: روان‌شناسان ایرانی، 10، 38، 148-139.
 
Aflakseir, A. (2012). Religiosity, personal meaning, and psychological well-being: A study among Muslim students in England. Pakistan Journal of Social and Clinical Psychology, 9 (2), 27-31.
Bar-Tur, L., Savaya, R., & Prager, E. (2001). Sources of meaning in life for young and old Israeli Jews and Arabs. Journal of Aging Studies, 15 (3), 253-269.
Baum, S. K., & Stewart, R. B. (1990).Sources of meaning through the lifespan. Psychological Reports, 67, 3-14.
Borba, M. (2005). The step-by-step plan to building moral intelligence. Nurturing Kids Heart& Souls. National Educator Award, National council of Selfesteem: Jossey-Bass.
Burbank, P. M. (1992). An exploratory study: Assessing the meaning in life among older adult clients. Journal of gerontological nursing, 18 (9), 19-28.
Coelho, J., & Duarte, C. (2016). A literature survey on older adults' use of social network services and social applications. Computers in Human Behavior, 58, 187-205.
De Vogler, K. L., & Ebersole, P. (1981).Adults’ meaning in life. Psychological Reports, 49, 87-90.
Debats, D. L. (1999). Sources of Meaning: An Investigation of Significant Commitments in Life. Journal of Humanistic Psychology, 39, 30.
Dwyer, L. L., Nordenfelt, L., & Ternestedt, B. M. (2008). Three nursing home residents speak about meaning at the end of life. Nursing Ethics, 15 (1), 97-109.
Erikson, E. H. (1985). The life cycle completed: A review. New York: W. W. Norton & Company.
Fegg, M. J., Kramer, M., L’hoste, S., & Borasio, G. D. (2008). The Schedule for Meaning in Life Evaluation (SMiLE): Validation of a New Instrument for Meaning-in-Life Research. Journal of Pain and Symptom Management, 35 (4), 356-364.
Kudla, D. Kujur, J. Tigga, S. Tirkey, P. Rai, P. & Fegg, M. J. (2015). Meaning in life experience at the end of life: Validation of the hindi version of the schedule for meaning in life evaluation and a cross-cultural comparison between indian and german palliative care patients. Journal of Pain and Symptom Management, 49 (1), 79-88.
Lawton, M. P., Moss, M. S., Winter, L., & Hoffman, C. (2002). Motivation in later life: Personal projects and well-being. Psychology and Aging, 17 (4), 539.
Li, T., & Zhang, Y. (2015). Social network types and the health of older adults: Exploring reciprocal associations. Social Science & Medicine, 130, 59-68.
Nolen-Hoeksema, S. (2005).  Gender differences  in depression. In Gotlib, I. H., hammen, C. L., (eds.). Handbook of Depression. New York:
Guilford press.
Park, N., Park, M., & Peterson, C. (2010). When is the search for meaning related to life satisfaction? Applied Psychology: Health and WellBeing, 2 (1), 1-13.
Reker, G.T., Peacock, E.J., & Wong, P.T.P. (1987). Meaning and purpose in life and well-being: A life-span perspective. Journal of Gerontology, 42, 44–49.
Ryff, C. D., & Keyes, C. L. (1995). The structure of psychological well-being revisited. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 69 (4), 719-727.
Schaefer, K. L., Klingman, B., & Lucas, M. (2003). Sources of Meaning in Life in College Students.www.counseling.umd.edu/Infodata/ scemeaninginlife.pdf‌.
Schnell, T. (2009). The Sources of Meaning and Meaning in Life Questionnaire (SoMe): Relations to demographics and well-being. The Journal of Positive Psychology, 4 (6), 483-499.
Sixsmith, J., Sixsmith, A., Fänge, A. M., Naumann, D., Kucsera, C. S. A. B. A., Tomsone, S., ... & Woolrych, R. (2014). Healthy ageing and home: The perspectives of very old people in five European countries. Social Science & Medicine, 106, 1-9.
Steger, M. F. (2012). Experiencing meaning in life: Optimal functioning at the nexus of spirituality, psychopathology, and wellbeing. In P. T. P. Wong (Ed.), The human quest for meaning (2nd ed., pp. 165–184). New York, NY: Routledge.
Steger, M. F., Frazier, P., Oishi, S., & Kaler, M. (2006). The meaning in life questionnaire: Assessing the presence of and search for meaning in life. Journal of counseling psychology, 53 (1), 80.
Steger, M. F., Kawabata, Y., Shimai, S., & Otake, K. (2008). The meaningful life in Japan and the United States: Levels and correlates of meaning in life. Journal of Research in Personality, 42 (3), 660-678.
Steger, M. F., Oishi, S., & Kashdan, T. B. (2009). Meaning in life across the life span: Levels and correlates of meaning in life from emerging adulthood to older adulthood. The Journal of Positive Psychology, 4(1), 43-52.
Steger, M. F., Oishi, S., & Kesebir, S. (2011). Is a life without meaning satisfying? The moderating role of the search for meaning in satisfaction with life judgments. The Journal of Positive Psychology, 6 (3), 173-180.
Takkinen, S., & Ruoppila, I. (2001). Meaning in life in three samples of elderly persons with high cognitive functioning. The International Journal of Aging and Human Development, 53 (1), 51-73.
Wang, WL., & Miao, DM. (2007).  Reaserch review of college student's psychological quality. US-China Education Review, 4 (3), 54-60.
Watkins, D., Mortazavi, S., & Trofimova, I. (2000). Independent and interdependent conceptions of self: An investigation of age, gender, and culture differences in importance and satisfaction ratings. Cross-Cultural Research, 34(2), 113-134.