Age Differences in Information Use While Making Decisions: Resource Limitations or Processing Differences?

Recent research on the decision-making abilities of older adults has shown that they use less information than young adults. One explanation ascribes this age difference to reductions in cognitive abilities with age. The article includes three experimental studies that focused on determining the conditions in which older and young adults would display dissimilar information processing characteristics.

A comprehensive symptom diary intervention to improve outcomes in patients with HF: a pilot study.

Background: Patients with heart failure must monitor for and recognize escalating symptoms to take action to relieve symptoms and decrease hospitalizations. However, symptom monitoring is not commonly performed. One way to promote patients' engagement in symptom monitoring is by providing a symptom diary.

Predicting positive well-being in older men and women.

The purpose of this study was to examine the effects of background, psychological, and social variables on older adults' well-being, and how this may differ for men and women. Participants included 800 adults from the 2002 Health and Retirement Study (HRS), aged 60 to 101 years old (M = 71.22, SD = 8.

Gender differences in psychosocial responses to lung cancer.

Background: Although biologically based sex differences in the smoking patterns, epidemiology, biomedical markers, and survival rates associated with lung cancer are well documented, examinations of psychosocial gender differences are scarce.

Objective: This cross-sectional study examined gender differences in psychosocial factors that are important in the medical management of lung cancer.

Methods: A convenience sample of patients who were attending a multidisciplinary lung cancer treatment center (Markey Cancer Center, Lexington, Kentucky) were invited to complete a psychosocial needs assessment.

Older adults' perceptions of mentally ill older adults.

Objectives: Many mentally ill older adults are stigmatized, which reduces quality of life and discourages help-seeking. This study's goal was to identify factors associated with stigma.

Methods: Community-dwelling older adults (N = 101) were asked to indicate their attitudes toward and reactions to three hypothetical older women with depression, anxiety, or schizophrenia.

The relationship between lung cancer patients' educational level and evaluation of their treatment information needs.

Background: Understanding the information needs of lung cancer patients is critical to developing interventions to assist them with treatment decisions. The present study examined how educational level is related to lung cancer patients' perceptions of the importance of having their information needs met and how well those needs were met.

Methods: Lung cancer patients completed a needs assessment that evaluated treatment information needs, treatment decision satisfaction, coping, and life satisfaction.

Confronting death: perceptions of a good death in adults with lung cancer.

Investigations regarding patients' concerns about death have focused on the importance of autonomy, resolution of concerns, family relationships, and religiosity, and relied on data from physicians, nurses, family members, and healthy older adults. Few studies have focused on patients with diseases that have short-term survival rates. This study examined lung cancer patients' perceptions of a good death.

Gender differences in predictors of late-life health insurance knowledge.

For many older adults having access to affordable health care is a major concern. The present study's goal was to examine what factors were related to individuals' knowledge of late-life health insurance. A total of 131 women and 116 men (all aged 55-71) answered questions about private, Medicare, Medigap, and long-term care insurances.

Goal clarity and financial planning activities as determinants of retirement savings contributions.

Retirement counselors, financial service professionals, and retirement intervention specialists routinely emphasize the importance of developing clear goals for the future; however, few empirical studies have focused on the benefits of retirement goal setting. In the present study, the extent to which goal clarity and financial planning activities predict retirement savings practices was examined among 100 working adults. Path analysis techniques were used to test two competing models, both of which were designed to predict savings contributions.

Gender differences in factors that influence time spent planning for retirement.

Retirement research has shown that planning activities are influenced by a variety of demographic and psychological variables. However, few investigations have focused on how demographic and psychological factors influence the time and effort men and women allocate to retirement preparation. In the present study, 184 individuals completed a survey designed to assess future time perspective (FTP), worry about retirement, age, and income level.

Influences of age and gender on workers' goals for retirement.

Having clear goals for retirement is a critical determinant of life satisfaction and adjustment during the post-employment transition period. The purpose of the present study was to explore individuals' goals for retirement and determine whether age and gender differences exist among those goals. A sample of 55 working adults (aged 20-67) were asked to list their retirement goals.