Personality Patterns of Old Age

Abstract

The purpose of t h e s t u d 3 d e s c r i b e d i n t h i s paper**% t o d e s c r i b e soue p e r s o n a l i t y c h a r a c t e r i s t i c s o f t h e aged population. The method used was t h e i n d i v i d u a l examination of f i f t y s u b j e c t s by t h e Rorschach t e c h n i q u e , mentary m a t e r i a l was obtained from p s y c h i a t r i c examinations, s o c i a l c a s e h i s t o r i e s , o t h e r p s y c h o l o g i c a l t e s t d a t a , and medical r e c o r d s . The r e s u l t s a r e by no means o f a c o n c l u s i v e n a t u r e , b u t may s e r v e as a n e n t e r i n g wedge i n t o a h i t h e r t o n e g l e c t e d area. SuppleRorschach (3) claimed t h a t t h e r e were t h r e e s i g n s "pathogonomicl' of normal old a g e : 1. A c o a r c t e d " e r l e b n i s t y p u s " , i . e . , a dim4nution of t h e c a p a c i t y o f t h e old people t o make use of t h e i r i n n e r r e s o u r c e s and a weakening of t h e i r rea c t i o n s t o emotional c h a l l e n g e s . 2. 3. A h i g h l y r e s t r i c t e d thought c o n t e n t , d e m o n s t r a t i n g a narrowing of t h e range of i n t e r e s t s . He f u r t h e r adds t h a t t h e aged group seems t o have d i f f i c u l t y i n o rg a n i z i n g t h e i r e x p e r i e n c e s o r engaging i n h i g h e r t y p e s i>f mental a c t i v i t y . These s u g g e s t i o n s of Rorschach's are g e n e r a l l y confirmed i n t h e f o l l o w i n g s t u d y and f u r t h e r o b s e r v a t i o n s are added. Experiment a1 _Procedure F i f t y people a v e r s i x t y y e a r s of age were g i v e n Rorschach t e s t s . O f t h e s e , t h i r t y were drawn from t h e Home f o r t h e Aged and I n f i r m Hebrews of New York. T h i s Home c o n t a i n s r e s i d e n t s from a wide range of socio-economic l e v e l s . Since it h a s t h e r e p u t a t i o n of being a v e r y d e s i r a b l e accornodation f o r t h e a g e d , it i n c l u d e s n o t only t h e needy among i t s r e s i d e n t s , b u t a l s o people i n less d e s p e r a t e f i n a n c i a l straits who make a r e g u l a r monthly c o n t r ib u t i o n t o t h e Home. The e d u c a t i o n a l and v o c a t i o n a l background of t h e r e s id e n t s a l s o v a r i e s c o n s i d e r a b l y . I n o r d e r t o be a d m i t t e d t o t h e Homo, t h e old people have t o be c o n s i d e r e d p h y s i c a l l y and m e n t a l l y f i t . c a s e s of s e r i o u s mental pathology incluc!ed i n t h e p r e s e n t s t u d y developed aft e r t h e i r admission t o t h e Home, i . e . ) t h e y were e i t h e r caused o r a g g r a v a t e d by t h e c o n d i t i o n of o l d age. These t h i r t y s u b j e c t s , chosen a t random i n t h e Home, ranged i n age from 62 t o 93, w i t h a median a t 74.T h i s means t h a t a l l The o t h e r twenty subjects were chosen as a n o n -i n s t i t u t i o n a l i z e d group of old people f o r purposes of comparison w i t h t h e o t h e r s , s i n c e t ...

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