Cultural Aspects of Personal Control: Expectations and Experiences in Old Age

Control is a frequently cited psychological construct in the gerontological literature that is correlated with many positive aspects of growing old. Yet surprisingly little is known about how control is experienced in advanced old age. This study sought to expand current understandings beyond the existing psychological models of control by exploring the construct from a cultural perspective. Data were generated from a 4 year qualitative study, The Experience of Suffering in Old Age (NIA R01 AG021112), that examined meanings of suffering in 182 community-dwelling adults, age 80 and older. Random selection was used to draw 16 cases, stratified by gender and ethnicity (4 each African American and European American men and women), for secondary analysis. Narrative analysis was used to deconstruct the meanings, contexts, and nature of control in old age. Results indicate that elders defined control in the context of decidedly American views of the self that emphasized autonomy, productivity, and choice. Experiences, however, often varied from elders' expectations and definitions, since structural inequalities limited opportunities for many elders to experience control. Capacities for control remained intact over time, but racism, sexism, ageism, and physical or cognitive decline often diminished its actual experience. Many elders recalibrated control to extend over a smaller, more manageable world. The findings undermine many existing psychological theories and highlight the growing need for interdisciplinary collaboration in research on aging