Back to Search
Start Over
The Strength of Weaker Ties: An Underexplored Resource for Maintaining Emotional Well-Being in Later Life.
- Source :
-
Journals of Gerontology Series B: Psychological Sciences & Social Sciences . Sep2020, Vol. 75 Issue 7, p1433-1442. 10p. - Publication Year :
- 2020
-
Abstract
- Objectives The purpose of this study was to examine dynamic links between changes in social ties and changes in emotional well-being. Method Trivariate dual-change score models were used to test whether a large number of close ties would be more strongly associated with low levels of depressed affect than a large number of weaker ties, and a large number of weaker ties would be more strongly associated with high levels of positive affect compared to a large number of close ties, across three waves of a large, regionally representative sample of U.S. adults aged 40 and older (N = 802). Results We found that a greater number of weaker ties was associated with having more close ties over time, and that the number of weaker ties was more strongly predictive of positive age-related changes in both aspects of well-being (i.e. more positive affect and less depressed affect) than the number of close ties. Discussion Contrary to popular theoretical orientations in gerontology, weaker ties may offer older adults a more effective avenue for promoting emotional well-being over time than close ties, and may have the additional benefit of compensating for losses in the number of close ties. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
Details
- Language :
- English
- ISSN :
- 10795014
- Volume :
- 75
- Issue :
- 7
- Database :
- Academic Search Index
- Journal :
- Journals of Gerontology Series B: Psychological Sciences & Social Sciences
- Publication Type :
- Academic Journal
- Accession number :
- 145239607
- Full Text :
- https://doi.org/10.1093/geronb/gbaa019