Successful Ageing: Psychological Theory and Research (Department of Psychology - University of Liverpool)

... What is meant by the term 'Successful Ageing'? Refer to psychological research and theories in your answer. Word Count: 2763 (excluding quotations, in-text and end-text references) The last century has witnessed substantial increases in life expectancy at birth, significant medical advances, and increasing health and social care expenditure. These changes have collectively encouraged international interest in the promotion of healthier old age and how to age "successfully". The idea of successful ageing has been the subject of investigations for a variety of academic disciplines for more than 3 decades. Earlier use of the term 'successful ageing' has been found in the research reports of social scientists in the 1960s and 1970s (Havighurst, 1963; Williams and Wirths, 1965). While the 1980s and early 1990s had psychologists and behavioural scientists studying successful ageing (Ryff, 1982), more recent work shows an interest from physicians and health service researchers as well (Rowe and Kahn, 1998). The

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