With a sentence completion technique, 708 elderly participants (64 to 90 years of age) expressed 15,020 personal aspirations. These goals were classified according to their motivational content in ten major categories and their relationships with different sociodemographic variables were studied. Two goal profiles emerge from this analysis. Aspirations centered on self-preservation are associated with very old age, functional impairment, lower S.E.S. and education, being alone or institutionalized. Aspirations of self-development and interpersonal relationships are associated with younger age, physical autonomy, higher S.E.S. and education, being married or living at home. Development of meaningful personal goals are discussed as a mean of intervention with elderly individuals.
Get full access to this article
View all access options for this article.
References
1.
FreeM. and SabiniJ. (eds.), Goal Directed Behavior, Psychological Theory and Research on Action, Earlbaum, Hillsdale, New Jersey, 1985.
2.
PervinL. A. (ed.), Goal Concepts in Personality and Social Psychology, Earlbaum, Hillsdale, New Jersey, 1989.
3.
ZaleskiZ. (ed.), The Individual and His Personal Future, Hogrefe Verlag, Göttingen, Germany (in press).
4.
CantorN. and LangstonC. A., Ups and Downs of Life Tasks in a Life Transition, in Goal Concepts in Personality and Social Psychology, PervinL. A. (ed.), Earlbaum, Hillsdale, New Jersey, 1989.
5.
LittleB. R., Personal Projects: A Rationale and Method for Investigation, Environment and Behavior, 15, pp. 273–309, 1983.
6.
KlingerE., Meaning and Void: Inner Experience and the Incentives in People's Lives, University of Minnesota Press, Minneapolis, Minnesota, 1977.
7.
EmmondsR. A., The Personal Striving Approach to Personality, Goal Concepts in Personality and Social Psychology, PervinL. A. (ed.), Earlbaum, Hillsdale, New Jersey, pp. 87–126, 1989.
8.
RobertsP., I Think of Ronald Reagan: Future Selves in the Present, International Journal of Aging and Human Development, 34:2, pp. 91–107, 1992.
9.
BanduraA., Self-regulation of Motivation Through Anticipatory and Self-reactive Mechanisms, in Perspectives on Motivation, Nebraska Symposium on Motivation, DienstbierR. (ed.), University of Nebraska Press, Lincoln, Nebraska, 38, pp. 69–164, 1991.
10.
DweckC. S., Self-theories and Goals: Their Role in Motivation, Personality and Development, in Perspectives on Motivation, Nebraska Symposium on Motivation, DienstbierR. (ed.), University of Nebraska Press, Lincoln, Nebraska, 38, pp. 199–236, 1991.
11.
LockeE. A. and LathamC. P., Goal Setting: A Motivational Technique That Works, Prentice-Hall, Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey, 1984.
12.
ZaleskiZ., Behavioral Effects of Self-set Goals for Different Time Ranges, International Journal of Personality, 22, pp. 17–38, 1987.
13.
NuttinJ. R., The Respective Roles of Cognition and Motivation in Behavioral Dynamics, Intention, and Volition, in Motivation, Intention, and Volition, HalischF. and KuhlJ. (eds.), Springer-Verlag, New York, 1987.
14.
BouffardL., L'extension de la Perspective Future chez les Personnes Âgées: Revue de Recherches (Extension of Future Time Perspective in the Elderly: A Review of the Literature), Revue Québécoise de Psychologie, 9:2, pp. 184–200, 1988.
15.
BouffardL.LapierreS., and BastinE., Extension Temporelle des Projets Personnels au Cours de la Vieillesse (Time Extension of Personal Projects During Old Age), International Journal of Psychology, 24, pp. 265–291, 1989.
16.
DickieJ. R.LudwigT. E., and BlauwD., Life Satisfaction Among Institutionalized and Noninstitutionalized Older Adults, Psychological Reports, 44, pp. 807–811, 1979.
17.
KastenbaumR., Time Course and Time Perspective in Later Life, Annual Review of Gerontology and Geriatrics, 3, pp. 80–101, 1982.
18.
LevyS. M., Temporal Experience in the Aged: Body Integrity and the Social Milieu, International Journal of Aging and Human Development, 9:4, pp. 313–344, 1978–79.
19.
RakowskiW., Future Time Perspective in Later Adulthood: Review and Research Directions, Experimental Aging Research, 5:1, pp. 43–88, 1979.
20.
SpenceD. L., The Role of Futurity in Aging Population, The Gerontologist, 8, pp. 180–183, 1968.
21.
LehrU., Attitudes Toward the Future in Old Age, Human Development, 10, pp. 230–238, 1967.
22.
LiebermanM. A. and TobinS. S., The Experience of Old Age, Hope and Despair, Basic, New York, pp. 312–332, 1983.
23.
StaatsS. and StassenM. A., Age and Present and Future Perceived Quality of Life, International Journal of Aging and Human Development, 25:3, pp. 167–176, 1987.
24.
BouffardL.LapierreS., and BastinE., La Perspective Future des Personnes Âgées et ses Corrélations (Correlates of Future Time Perspective in the Elderly), Conference presented at the Eleventh Congress of Societé Quebécoise pour la Recherche en Psychologie, Montréal, Canada, 1988.
25.
SchonfieldD., Future Commitments and Successful Aging, I. The Random Sample, Journal of Gerontology, 28:2, pp. 189–192, 1973.
26.
SchonfieldD. and HooperA., Future Commitments and Successful Aging. II. Special Groups, Journal of Gerontology, 28:2, pp. 197–201, 1973.
27.
ThomaeH., Stress, Satisfaction, Competence. Findings from the Bonn Longitudinal Study of Aging, Conference presented at the Third Congress of the International Psychogeriatric Association, Chicago, Illinois, 1987.
28.
GjesmeT., On the Concept of Future Time Orientation: Considerations of Some Functions' and Measurements' Implications, International Journal of Psychology, 18, pp. 443–461, 1983.
29.
KastenbaumR., Cognitive and Personal Futurity in Later Life, Journal of Genetic Psychology, 19, pp. 216–222, 1963.
30.
FraisseP., Le Futur dans les Perspectives Temporelles (The Future in Time Perspectives), International Journal of Psychology, 18, pp. 489–495, 1983.
31.
NuttinJ., Motivation, Planning, and Action: A Relational Theory of Behavior. Leuven University Press and Erlbaum Associates, Leuven and Hillsdale, New Jersey, 1984.
32.
FraisseP., The Psychology of Time, Harper & Row, New York, 1963.
33.
LewinK., Time Perspective and Morale, in Civilian Morale, WatsonG. (ed.), Houghton Mifflin, Boston, Massachusetts, 1942.
34.
NuttinJ., The Future Time Perspective in Human Motivation and Learning, Proceeding of the 17th International Congress of Psychology, North Holland, Amsterdam, 1963.
35.
NuttinJ. and LensW., Future Time Perspective and Motivation: Theory and Research Method, Leuven University Press and Erlbaum Associates, Leuven and Hillsdale, New Jersey, 1985.
36.
RakowskiW., Future Time Perspective: Applications to the Health Context of Later Adulthood, American Behavioral Scientist, 29, pp. 730–475, 1986.
37.
LiberH. S., Applications of a Theory of Personality Functioning and Change to Three Career Identity Changes Faced by the Elderly, in Motivation, Career Striving and Aging, RaynorJ. O. and EntinE. E. (eds.), Hemisphere, Washington, D.C., 1982.
38.
DeciE. L. and RyanR. M., Intrinsic Motivation and Self-determination in Human Behavior, Plenum Press, New York, 1985.
39.
ZaleskiZ., Behavioral Effects of Self-set Goals for Different Time Ranges, International Journal of Psychology, 22, pp. 17–38, 1987.
40.
ThomaeH., Future Time Perspective and the Problem of Cognition-motivation Interaction, in Cognition in Human Motivation and Learning, D'YdevalleG. and LensW. (eds.), Earlbaum, Hillsdale, New Jersey, pp. 261–274, 1981.
41.
SchulzR. and HanusaB. H., Long-term Effects of Control and Predictability-enhancing Interventions: Findings and Ethical Issues, Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 36, pp. 1194–1201, 1978.
42.
RekerG. T.PeacockE. J., and WongP. T. P., Meaning, Purpose in Life and Well-being: A Life-span Perspective, Journal of Gerontology, 42, pp. 44–49, 1987.
43.
BouffardL. and BastinE., La Perspective Future, Facteur de Santé Mentale chez les Personnes Âgées (Future Perspective: An Important Factor in the Mental Health of the Elderly), Santé Mentale au Québec (in press).
44.
BearonL. B., No Great Expectations: The Underpinnings of Life Satisfaction for Older Women, Gerontologist, 29:6, pp. 772–778, 1989.
45.
LensW. and GaillyA., Content and Future Time Perspective of Motivational Goals in Different Age Groups, University of Leuven Psychological Reports, 10, pp. 1–33, 1978.
46.
LapierreS., La Perspective Temporelle Future chez des Personnes de 50 à 70 ans (Future Time Perspective of Individuals from 50 to 70 Years), Doctoral dissertation, University of Montreal, 1990.
47.
NeugartenB. L. and GarronD. C., Attitudes of Middle-aged Persons Toward Growing Older, Geriatrics, 14, pp. 21–24, 1959.
48.
ThomaeH., Patterns of Psychological Aging: Findings of the Bonn Longitudinal Study of Aging, in Formen seelischen Alterns, LehrU. and ThomaeH. (eds.), Stuttgart Verlag, Germany, pp. 279–286, 1987.
49.
CameronP.DesaiK. G.BahadorD., and DremelG., Temporarily Across the Life Span, The International Journal of Aging and Human Development, 8:3, pp. 229–259, 1977–78.
50.
NuttinJ. and GrommenR., Future Time Perspective in Adulthood and Old Age in Three Socioeconomic Groups, University of Leuven Psychological Reports, 5, pp. 1–17, 1975.
51.
HebertR., L'évaluation de l'autonomie Fonctionnelle des Personnes Âgées, (Evaluation of the Functional Autonomy of the Elderly), Canadian Family Physician, 28, 1982.
52.
HebertR.CarrierR., and BilodeauA., Le Système de Mesure de l'autonomie Fonctionnelle (SMAF) (Measure of Functional Autonomy), La Revue de Giriatrie, 13:4, pp. 161–167, 1988.
53.
LensW. and NuttinJ., The Motivational-Induction Method: A Technique to Identify the Content and to Measure the Future Time Perspective of Motivational Goal Objects, University of Leuven Psychological Reports, 24, pp. 1–27, 1984.
54.
BouffardL.LensW., and NuttinJ., Extension de la Perspective Future en Relation avec la Frustration (Extension of Future Time Perspective in Relation with Frustration), International Journal of Psychology, 18, pp. 429–442, 1983.
55.
LapierreS.BouffardL., and DenisM.-C., La Perspective Future chez les Personnes Agies, (Future Time Perspective of the Elderly), paper presented at the International French-speaking Congress of Gerontology, Montréal, Canada, 1991.
56.
BouffardL.DubéM.LapierreS., and BastinE., Programme d'intervention pour Développer la Perspective Future des Personnes Âgeés (Intervention Program for the Development of Future Time Perspective in Elderly), unpublished manuscript, College of Sherbrooke, 1991.
57.
KastenbaumR., Past Versus Future Orientation in Psychotherapy for the Elderly, Psychotherapy in Private Practice, 5:1, pp. 115–121, 1987.
