With a sentence completion technique, 708 elderly participants (65 to 90 years of age) expressed 15,027 personal aspirations. These goals were classified according to their motivational content in ten major categories and their relationships with various aspects of subjective well-being were studied. Two goal profiles emerged from this analysis. Aspirations centered on self-preservation were associated with poor self-rated physical health, being burden by difficulties, lack of meaning to life, dissatisfaction with life, and negative expectations for the future. Aspirations of self-development and interest in the well-being of others were associated with feelings of well-being in later life. Development of meaningful personal goals was discussed as as a new intervention approach with the elders.

Résumé Une démarche axée sur les objectifs personnels est offerte à des étudiants universitaires, dans le cadre d’un cours, en vue de favoriser un apprentissage significatif, un fonctionnement optimal et l’augmentation du bien-être psychologique. Plus spécifiquement, la démarche implique la précision d’un objectif concret, la planification et la poursuite du but et se termine par l’évaluation du progrès réalisé. Cette forme d’intervention, réalisée auprès d’étudiants universitaires, a produit une augmentation significative de tous les indices de bien-être évalués comparativement aux scores de bien-être obtenus par un groupe témoin. Cette approche qui a aussi été bénéfique pour des personnes âgées et des retraités est donc susceptible de s’appliquer à d’autres groupes d’âge et à des personnes vivant diverses situations de vie.

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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.

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