Department of Psychological, Health, and Learning Sciences, University of Houston, Houston, TX, USA.
Department of Educational Studies, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN, USA.
Aging Ment Health. 2023 Jan;27(1):1-7. doi: 10.1080/13607863.2022.2036945. Epub 2022 Feb 15.
To understand how different reminiscence functions and previously meaningful work predicted meaning in life in retired adults.
We surveyed 240 retired adults recruited from ResearchMatch and had them complete questionnaires assessing their reminiscence functions, their meaning in life, and whether they perceived their previous work as meaningful. We tested a structural model that positioned meaningful work as a mediator of the relation between reminiscence functions and meaning in life and an alternative model that positioned reminiscence functions as mediators of the relation between meaningful work and meaning in life.
After comparing fit, we retained the structural model. Findings indicated that participants who reminisced for the sake of consolidating their identities (identity) reported their previous work as more meaningful, but those that reminisced for the sake of maintaining negative emotions (bitterness revival) reported their previous work as less meaningful. In turn, participants who perceived their previous work as more meaningful reported greater meaning in life. Identity and bitterness revival reminiscence also related to meaning in life via meaningful work.
Results suggest that retired adults' reminiscence functions and their perceptions of their previous employment are important to understanding retired adults' ongoing construction of meaning in their lives.
了解不同的怀旧功能和以前有意义的工作如何预测退休成年人的生活意义。
我们调查了 240 名从 ResearchMatch 招募的退休成年人，让他们完成评估怀旧功能、生活意义以及他们是否认为以前的工作有意义的问卷。我们测试了一个结构模型，该模型将有意义的工作作为怀旧功能与生活意义之间关系的中介，以及一个替代模型，该模型将怀旧功能作为有意义的工作与生活意义之间关系的中介。
在比较拟合度后，我们保留了结构模型。研究结果表明，为了巩固自己的身份而怀旧的参与者（身份）表示他们以前的工作更有意义，但为了维持消极情绪而怀旧的参与者（痛苦复兴）表示他们以前的工作意义不大。反过来，认为以前的工作更有意义的参与者报告说他们的生活更有意义。身份和痛苦复兴怀旧也通过有意义的工作与生活意义相关。
研究结果表明，退休成年人的怀旧功能及其对以前工作的看法对理解退休成年人在生活中持续构建意义很重要。
