*Address correspondence to Diane J. Martin, The Center for the Study of Aging at McDaniel College, 2 College Hill, Westminster, MD 21157. E-mail:
Gerontologist. 2014 Feb;54(1):51-8. doi: 10.1093/geront/gnt073. Epub 2013 Jul 27.
The historical roots of gerontology date to a time when old age was characterized as physical and mental decline. Nonetheless, Metchnikoff questioned the inevitability of this decline, believing that quality of life could be improved by broadening our understanding of the science of aging, a multifaceted concept that extends well beyond the biological science interpretation so prevalent in gerontology's history. This article examines foundational gerontological theories in an effort to unravel complex interactions that constitute physiological aging processes, the psychological manifestations of individual adaptation, and the importance of social and spiritual relationships in aging successfully. Evaluating these theories through an interdisciplinary lens will benefit scholars, researchers, and aging services professionals because it offers opportunities to extend gerontological concepts from theory to development of models that can ultimately be applied in common practice to promote successful aging, regardless of one's physical or cognitive health status. To that end, we propose the Spectrum Model of Aging. Utilizing components of game theory, we believe it offers a synergistic approach to improving quality of later life and thus promises to move the field of gerontology beyond disciplinary boundaries.
老年学的历史根源可以追溯到一个时期，当时的老年被定义为身体和精神的衰退。然而，梅契尼科夫质疑这种衰退的必然性，他认为通过拓宽我们对衰老科学的理解，可以提高生活质量，衰老科学是一个多方面的概念，远远超出了老年学历史上如此流行的生物科学解释。本文考察了基础老年学理论，努力揭示构成生理衰老过程的复杂相互作用、个体适应的心理表现，以及社会和精神关系在成功老龄化中的重要性。通过跨学科的视角来评估这些理论，将使学者、研究人员和老年服务专业人员受益，因为它提供了机会，将老年学概念从理论扩展到模型的开发，这些模型最终可以应用于共同实践中，促进成功的老龄化，而不论一个人的身体或认知健康状况如何。为此，我们提出了“老龄化光谱模型”。我们相信，利用博弈论的组成部分，它提供了一种协同的方法来改善晚年生活质量，从而有望使老年学领域超越学科界限。
