The State-Trait Personality Inventory was administered to 150 volunteers whose ages ranged from 21 to 83 yr. Participants were placed into one of three groups on the basis of their chronological age: young adults (21 to 39 yr.), middle-age (49 to 59 yr.), and old (60 to 83 yr.). Analysis indicated no significant main effects for age group on any of the six subscales with education statistically controlled. Significant sex differences were found on the Trait Anxiety Scale; women had higher trait anxiety. There was no significant interaction of sex and age. Implications of results were discussed.
Get full access to this article
View all access options for this article.
References
1.
CostaP. T.McCraeR. R. (1978) Objective personality assessment. In StorandtM.SieglerI. C.EliasM. I. (Eds.). The clinical psychology of aging. New York: Plenum. Pp. 119–143.
2.
EdwardsP. W.ZeichnerA.GreeneP. (1984) Gender differences on the Cognitive-somatic Anxiety Questionnaire. Psychological Reports, 55, 123–124.
3.
FitzgeraldJ. M. (1980) Learning and development: Mutual bases in a dialectical perspective. Human Development, 23, 376–382.
4.
HimmelfarbS. (1984) Age and sex differences in the mental health of older persons. Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, 52, 844–856.
5.
HimmelfarbS.MurrellS. A. (1984) The prevalence and correlates of anxiety symptoms in older adults. Journal of Psychology, 116, 159–167.
6.
JarvickL. F.RussellD. (1979) Anxiety, aging and the third emergency reaction. Journal of Gerontology, 34, 197–200.
7.
LawtonM. P.WhelihanW. M.BelskyJ. K. (1980) Personality tests and their uses with older adults. In BirrenJ. (Ed.), Handbook of mental health and aging. Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice-Hall. Pp. 537–553.
8.
NeugartenB. L. (1977) Personality and aging. In BirrenJ. E.SchaieK. W. (Eds.), Handbook of the psychology of aging. New York: Van Nostrand Reinhold. Pp. 626–649.
9.
PanekP. E.WagnerE. E.Kennedy-ZwergelK. (1983) A review of projective test findings with older adults. Journal of Personality Assessment, 47, 562–582.
10.
SchaieK. W.GeiwitzJ. (1982) Adult development and aging. Boston: Little, Brown. Pp. 245–246.
11.
SchaieK. W.SchaieJ. P. (1977) Clinical assessment and aging. In BirrenJ. E.SchaieK. W. (Eds.), Handbook of the psychology of aging. New York: Van Nostrand Reinhold. Pp. 692–723.
12.
SpielbergerC. D. (1979) Preliminary manual for the State-Trait Personality Inventory. Tampa, FL: Human Resources Institute, Univer. of South Florida.
13.
SpielbergerC. D.GorsuchR.LusheneR. (1970) Manual for the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory. Palo Alto, CA, Consulting Psychologists Press.
