Older Parents’ and Middle-Aged Children’s Communication as Predictors of Children’s Successful Aging

Abstract

The communicative ecology model of successful aging (CEMSA) examines how people’s language and communication surrounding the aging process (e.g., making age-related excuses) predicts successful aging. Using the CEMSA, this study examined how middle-aged U.S. American children’s and their parents’ age-related communication predicts children’s subjective perceptions of their own successful aging, via children’s aging efficacy. Three communication profiles emerged for children and their parents, namely engaged, bantering, and disengaged agers. Path analysis revealed that parents’ age-related communication predicted children’s successful aging, via children’s aging efficacy. Relative to children with disengaged parents, children with bantering parents were more likely to be efficacious with respect to their aging, which in turn positively predicted successful aging. The language and communication people observe from older family members may be consequential in shaping their aging trajectories for the better or worse.

Keywords

communicative ecology model of successful aging social learning theory successful aging parents children

Get full access to this article

View all access options for this article.

References

Baltes

P. B.

Baltes

M. M.

(1990). Psychological perspectives on successful aging: The model of selective optimization with compensation. In Baltes

P. B.

Baltes

M. M.

(Eds.), Successful aging: Perspectives from the behavioral sciences (Vol. 1, pp. 1-34). New York, NY: Cambridge University Press.

Bandura

(1986). Social foundations of thought and action: A social cognitive theory. Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice Hall.

Berlin

K. S.

Williams

N. A.

Parra

G. R.

(2014). An introduction to latent variable mixture modeling (part 1): Overview and cross-sectional latent class and latent profile analyses. Journal of Pediatric Psychology, 39, 174-187.

Bernhold

Q. S.

Gasiorek

Giles

(2018). Communicative predictors of older adults’ successful aging, mental health, and alcohol use. International Journal of Aging and Human Development. Advance online publication. doi:10.1177/0091415018784715

Bieman-Copland

Ryan

E. B.

Cassano

(1998). Responding to the challenge of late life: Strategies for maintaining and enhancing competence. In Pushcar

Bokowski

W. M.

Schwartzman

A. E.

Stack

D. M.

White

D. R.

(Eds.), Improving competence across the lifespan: Building interventions based on theory and research (pp. 141-157). New York, NY: Plenum Press.

Browne

M. W.

Cudeck

(1993). Alternative ways of assessing model fit. In Bollen

K. A.

Long

J. S.

(Eds.), Testing structural equation models (pp. 136-162). Newbury Park, CA: Sage.

Cho

Martin

Poon

L. W.

(2015). Successful aging and subjective well-being among oldest-old adults. The Gerontologist, 55, 132-143.

Colaner

C. W.

Soliz

(2017). A communication-based approach to adoptive identity: Theoretical and empirical support. Communication Research, 44, 611-637.

Colaner

C. W.

Soliz

Nelson

L. R.

(2014). Communicatively managing religious identity difference in parent-child relationships: The role of accommodative and nonaccommodative communication. Journal of Family Communication, 14, 310-327.

10.

Cosco

T. D.

Prina

A. M.

Perales

Stephan

B. C. M.

Brayne

(2014). Operational definitions of successful aging: A systematic review. International Psychogeriatrics, 26, 373-381.

11.

Depp

C. A.

Jeste

D. V.

(2006). Definitions and predictors of successful aging: A comprehensive review of larger quantitative studies. American Journal of Geriatric Psychiatry, 14, 6-20.

12.

Foster

Walker

(2015). Active and successful aging: A European policy perspective. The Gerontologist, 55, 83-90.

13.

Fowler

Gasiorek

Giles

(2015). The role of communication in aging well: Introducing the communicative ecology model of successful aging. Communication Monographs, 82, 431-457.

14.

Garstka

T. A.

Schmitt

M. T.

Branscombe

N. R.

Hummert

M. L.

(2004). How young and older adults differ in their responses to perceived age discrimination. Psychology and Aging, 19, 326-335.

15.

Gasiorek

Barile

J. P.

(2017). Associations between profiles of communication about aging and quality of life for middle-aged and older American adults. International Journal of Aging and Human Development, 87, 141-155.

16.

Gasiorek

Fowler

(2016). Profiling younger adults’ communication about aging. Communication Studies, 67, 163-182.

17.

Gasiorek

Fowler

Giles

(2015). What does successful aging sound like? Profiling communication about aging. Human Communication Research, 41, 577-602.

18.

Gasiorek

Fowler

Giles

(2016). Communication and successful aging. In Nussbaum

J. F.

(Ed.), Communication across the lifespan: ICA theme book (pp. 35-50). New York, NY: Peter Lang.

19.

Giles

Davis

Gasiorek

Giles

(2013). Successful aging: A communication guide to empowerment. Barcelona, Spain: Editorial Aresta.

20.

Heckhausen

Schulz

(1995). A life-span theory of control. Psychological Review, 102, 284-304.

21.

Holladay

S. J.

(2002). “Have fun while you can,” “You’re only as old as you feel,” and “Don’t ever get old”: An examination of memorable messages about aging. Journal of Communication, 52, 681-697.

22.

Bentler

P. M.

(1999). Cutoff criteria for fit indexes in covariance structure analysis: Conventional criteria versus new alternatives. Structural Equation Modeling, 6, 1-55.

23.

James

B. D.

Wilson

R. S.

Barnes

L. L.

Bennett

D. A.

(2011). Late-life social activity and cognitive decline in old age. Journal of the International Neuropsychological Society, 17, 998-1005.

24.

Jopp

D. S.

Jung

Damarin

A. K.

Mirpuri

Spini

(2017). Who is your successful aging role model? Journals of Gerontology: Social Sciences, 72, 237-247.

25.

Kam

J. A.

Hecht

M. L.

(2009). Investigating the role of identity gaps among communicative and relational outcomes within the grandparent-grandchild relationship: The young-adult grandchildren’s perspective. Western Journal of Communication, 73, 456-480.

26.

Kline

R. B.

(2005). Principles and practices of structural equation modeling. New York, NY: Guilford Press.

27.

Knapp

M. L.

Stohl

Reardon

K. K.

(1981). “Memorable” messages. Journal of Communication, 31, 27-41.

28.

Lurie

Monahan

(2015). Humor, aging, and life review: Survival through the use of humor. Social Work in Mental Health, 13, 82-91.

29.

Maisto

S. A.

Carey

K. B.

Bradizza

C. M.

(1999). Social learning theory. In Leonard

K. E.

Blane

H. T.

(Eds.), Psychological theories of drinking and alcoholism (2nd ed., pp. 106-163). New York, NY: Guilford Press.

30.

Marziali

McDonald

Donahue

(2008). The role of coping humor in the physical and mental health of older adults. Aging & Mental Health, 12, 713-718.

31.

Morgan

G. B.

(2015). Mixed mode latent class analysis: An examination of fit index performance for classification. Structural Equation Modeling: A Multidisciplinary Journal, 22, 76-86.

32.

Morman

M. T.

Floyd

(2006). Good fathering: Father and son perceptions of what it means to be a good father. Fathering, 4, 113-136.

33.

Muthén

L. K.

(1998-2014). Mplus user’s guide (7th ed.). Los Angeles, CA: Muthén & Muthén.

34.

Muthén

L. K.

Muthén

(2002). How to use a Monte Carlo study to decide on sample size and determine power. Structural Equation Modeling: A Multidisciplinary Journal, 9, 599-620.

35.

Muthén

L. K.

Muthén

(2010). Mplus user’s guide (6th ed.). Los Angeles, CA: Muthén & Muthén.

36.

Nuru

A. K.

Soliz

(2014). Parental socialization of ethnic identity: Perspectives from multiethnic adults. Qualitative Research Reports in Communication, 15, 1-8.

37.

Nussbaum

J. F.

(2007). Life span communication and quality of life. Journal of Communication, 57, 1-7.

38.

Ouwehand

de Ridder

D. T. D.

Bensing

J. M.

(2007). A review of successful aging models: Proposing proactive coping as an important additional strategy. Clinical Psychology Review, 27, 873-884.

39.

Pruchno

R. A.

Wilson-Genderson

Cartwright

(2010). A two-factor model of successful aging. Journal of Gerontology: Psychological Sciences, 65B, 671-679.

40.

Rosenstock

I. M.

Strecher

V. J.

Becker

M. H.

(1988). Social learning theory and the health belief model. Health Education Quarterly, 15, 175-183.

41.

Ryan

E. B.

Giles

Bartolucci

Henwood

(1986). Psycholinguistic and social psychological components of communication by and with the elderly. Language & Communication, 6, 1-24.

42.

Ryan

E. B.

Hummert

M. L.

Boich

L. H.

(1995). Communication predicaments of aging: Patronizing behavior toward older adults. Journal of Language and Social Psychology, 14, 144-166.

43.

Soliz

Rittenour

C. E.

(2012). Family as an intergroup domain. In Giles

(Ed.), The handbook of intergroup communication (pp. 331-343). New York, NY: Routledge.

44.

Soliz

Thorson

A. R.

Rittenour

C. E.

(2009). Communicative correlates of satisfaction, family identity, and group salience in multiracial/ethnic families. Journal of Marriage and Family, 71, 819-832.

45.

Solomon

J. C.

(1996). Humor and aging well: A laughing matter or a matter of laughing? American Behavioral Scientist, 39, 249-271.

46.

Strawbridge

W. J.

Wallhagen

M. I.

Cohen

R. D.

(2002). Successful aging and well-being: Self-rated compared with Rowe and Kahn. The Gerontologist, 42, 727-733.

47.

Tate

Leedine

Cuddy

(2003). Definition of successful aging by elderly Canadian males: The Manitoba follow-up study. The Gerontologist, 43, 735-744.

Supplementary Material

Please find the following supplemental material available below.

For Open Access articles published under a Creative Commons License, all supplemental material carries the same license as the article it is associated with.

For non-Open Access articles published, all supplemental material carries a non-exclusive license, and permission requests for re-use of supplemental material or any part of supplemental material shall be sent directly to the copyright owner as specified in the copyright notice associated with the article.

0.00 MB

0.26 MB