Stigma and Sexual Dissatisfaction in Middle-Aged and Older Sexual Minorities.

High sexual quality and activity predict psychological well-being in heterosexual middle-aged and older adults; however, these associations have not been documented in sexual minorities, who have faced lifelong stigma concerning their sexuality. This paper presents data from two secondary studies that explored the benefits of being sexually active and satisfied and the role of internalized homonegativity in a sample of middle-aged and older sexual minorities. Study 1 was a cross-sectional survey collected on 91 sexually active sexual minorities (ages 40-80) in same-sex relationships.

Metamemory and Self-Compassion as Protective Factors in the Relationship Between Benevolent Ageism and Environmental Mastery.

The present study examined the interrelationships between benevolent ageism, metamemory, self-compassion, and environmental mastery. By assessing older adults' perceptions of overaccommodative behaviors, we found greater perceptions of benevolent ageist experiences, or well-intended patronage, related to lower levels of environmental mastery, effectively managing one's own affairs, in a sample of 202 older adults. Additionally, this relationship is mediated by metamemory, or self-perceptions of memory abilities, as greater perceptions of benevolent ageism experiences indirectly predicted less environmental mastery through having decreased metamemory confidence.

"Older, Entitled, and Extremely Out-of-Touch": Does "OK, Boomer" Signify the Emergence of a New Older Adult Stereotype?

"OK, Boomer" is a phrase used to dismiss an older person for their perceived out-of-touch or offensive beliefs. The popularity of this retort suggests the presence of intergenerational tension; this study explores how the use of "OK, Boomer" relates to the current age stereotype literature. Results indicated that this literature base does not adequately capture how younger adults perceived the titular "Boomer," and therefore, we used interpretive phenomenological analysis to identify seven unique characteristics ascribed to "Boomers": closed-minded, argumentative, out-of-touch, offensive, critical, nostalgic, and/or conservative.

Expanding Benevolent Ageism: Replicating Attitudes of Overaccommodation to Older Men.

Background: Older adults are stereotyped in a paternalistic manner (warm, but incompetent), deserving of assistance regardless of their need; however, little is known about how gender contextualizes these attitudes. The purpose of this study was to extend previous work that examined the malleability of the paternalistic older adult stereotype using a two-part experimental vignette. The goals of the current study included: (1) to examine attitudes of benevolent ageist behavior toward a male target, (2) to confirm whether attributions made toward an older male target change if they defy or confirm the paternalistic stereotype, and (3) to examine the distinct roles of age and gender on an act of benevolent ageism.

Minority Stress and Relationship Well-Being in Sexual Minorities: The Varying Role of Outness on Relationship and Sexual Satisfaction.

Empirical inquiry has targeted how same-sex couples grapple with unique stressors in their romantic relationships. Meta-analyses demonstrate that the adverse link between minority stress and sexual and relationship well-being is contingent on the type of stressor and relationship component. We conducted a cross sectional study examining a sample of 238 individuals currently in same-sex relationships.

Age Differences in Sexual Minority Stress and the Importance of Friendship in Later Life.

Objectives: This study examined whether younger and middle-aged and older sexual minorities (YSM, MAOSM) experience minority stress differently in relation to social support and depressive symptomatology.

Methods: Cross-sectional data from 238 sexual minorities (18-80; = 40.93) comprised the sample, who were strategically separated into cohorts.

Benevolent ageism: Attitudes of overaccommodative behavior toward older women.

Stereotypes of older adults fit a paternalistic pattern, including elevated warmth and lowered competence, yet little effort has been made to elucidate this in an everyday context. This phenomenon was examined with an experimental vignette, in which a woman was offered unnecessary help; specifically, the age (young vs. old) and the independence (accepting vs.

Trajectories of social support and well-being across the first two years of widowhood.

The death of a spouse can be one of the most challenging events an older adult can face, yet many exhibit resilience. The present study examined the trajectories of structural and functional social support components, depression, and life satisfaction across the first two years of widowhood. The majority of structural and functional support trajectories exhibited stability across the first two years postloss.

The self-concept and conjugal loss: evidence for structural change.

The self-concept is often considered to be a personal resource that individuals may use to cope with life stressors, but little is known about how this entity might itself change in response to profound stress. The present study examines structural change in self-concept following conjugal loss in later life. Analyses were conducted on data collected from 57 widows every 4 months over the first 2 years post-loss.

Interventions to reduce sexual minority stigma in sororities.

This study examined the effects that two different types of interventions have on reducing sexual minority stigma in sororities. Affect, behaviors, and cognitions toward gay men and lesbians were measured using the Affective Reactions to Homosexuality Scale, Homophobic Behavior of Students Scale, and Attitudes Toward Lesbians and Gays Scale. A total of 82 participants from two sororities participated in two different types of interventions, that is, panel discussion and video and discussion.

The role of dispositional resilience in regaining life satisfaction after the loss of a spouse.

The purpose of the present study was to examine dispositional resilience in the perceived stress-life satisfaction relation following conjugal loss. The sample included 55 widows, assessed on average, 1 month following the death of a spouse. Results supported dispositional resilience as a mediator (the initial relation between perceived stress and life satisfaction was significant, but reduced to a non-significant level once dispositional resilience was included in the model) and a moderator (the interaction between perceived stress and dispositional resilience significantly predicted life satisfaction) between perceived stress and life satisfaction.

Social Support in Widowhood: A Mixed Methods Study.

Although social support is assumed to be an important factor following loss, the mechanisms by which it influences outcomes are not well understood. This study explored the nature of social support following loss using mixed methods. Widows participated in semistructured interviews 1 and 4 months after loss; a subsample completed 98 days of questionnaires between interviews.

Adaptive change in self-concept and well-being during conjugal loss in later life.

The present study examines the association between the self-concept and adaptation to conjugal loss; the primary aim was to explore whether those individuals high in self-esteem, environmental mastery, and optimism have more adaptive resources with which to ameliorate the detrimental sequelae of bereavement. Analyses were conducted on data collected from 58 widows every four months over a two-year period. One goal of the research was to explore the adequacy of the theoretically chosen operational definition of the self-concept; another goal was to analyze how changes in the level of self-concept components correlated with changes in levels of depression, health, and grief resolution as individuals adjusted to their losses.

Psychological resilience, positive emotions, and successful adaptation to stress in later life.

In 3 studies, the authors investigated the functional role of psychological resilience and positive emotions in the stress process. Studies 1a and 1b explored naturally occurring daily stressors. Study 2 examined data from a sample of recently bereaved widows.

The role of daily positive emotions during conjugal bereavement.

The role of daily positive emotions in the stress process was examined in a sample of 34 recently bereaved older adult widows. Humor coping and perceived stress were measured in questionnaires, and positive emotions, depression, anxiety, and stress were assessed daily for 98 days. Results highlight the critical role of daily positive emotions in the months immediately following conjugal loss.

Emotional well-being in recently bereaved widows: a dynamical systems approach.

A dynamical systems approach was used to model the intraindividual variability in emotional well-being following conjugal loss. Well-being in a sample of 19 recently bereaved older adult widows was measured every day for 3 months. The pattern of variability of well-being was hypothesized to be an oscillating process that damps across time (i.