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Norwegian sandwiches

Norwegian sandwiches

Abstract  

Population ageing changes profoundly the current balance between generations. Governments are responding with policies to
promote later retirement and family care, but these ideals may come in conflict in mid-life when family obligations can be
hard to reconcile with employment. Yet we know little about the prevalence of being “sandwiched”, and even less about the
consequences. This article maps out the prevalence of different forms of family and work sandwiching for the Norwegian population,
and explores adaptive strategies and psycho-social outcomes. The analyses are based on data from the NorLAG and LOGG studies
(n = 15 109, age 18–84). Preliminary findings indicate that 75–80% of the population are located in-between younger and older
family generations in mid-life, the great majority are at the same time in paid work, but comparatively few (8–9% aged 35–45)
have both children and parents in need at the same time, and fewer still (3%) are then also caregivers to older parents. Although
few in proportion of their age group, they add up to a considerable number of persons. Women are more likely to reduce work
in response to family needs than men. Implications of family and work sandwiching for health and well-being are analysed.

  • Content Type Journal Article
  • DOI 10.1007/s10433-010-0163-3
  • Authors
    • Svein Olav Daatland, Norwegian Social Research (NOVA), P.O. Box 3223, Elisenberg, 0208 Oslo, Norway
    • Marijke Veenstra, Norwegian Social Research (NOVA), P.O. Box 3223, Elisenberg, 0208 Oslo, Norway
    • Ivar A. Lima, Norwegian Social Research (NOVA), P.O. Box 3223, Elisenberg, 0208 Oslo, Norway

The relation between personality and the realism in confidence judgements in older adults

Abstract  

This study investigated the relation between personality factors, as measured by the Swedish version of the NEO-FFI questionnaire,
and the realism in older adults’ (aged 60–93 years, n = 1,384) probability confidence judgements of their answers to general knowledge questions. The results showed very small
effect sizes for the contribution of the personality variables to the fit between the proportion correct answers and the level
of one’s confidence judgements. Although personality differed somewhat within the age span studied and between the genders
no differences were found in the relation between the dimensions of the NEO-FFI and the degree of realism in the confidence
judgements as a function of age or gender. In total, the results show a significant but very small effect of personality on
the realism in older adults’ confidence judgements of their semantic knowledge.

  • Content Type Journal Article
  • DOI 10.1007/s10433-010-0164-2
  • Authors
    • Mats Dahl, Department of Psychology, Lund University, Box 213, 221 00 Lund, Sweden
    • Carl Martin Allwood, Department of Psychology, University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden
    • Mikael Rennemark, Linnaeus University, Växjö, Sweden
    • Bo Hagberg, Blekinge Institute for Research and Development, Lund University, Lund, Sweden

Predicting one’s own death: the relationship between subjective and objective nearness to death in very old age

Abstract  

Previous research found that the perception of a limited remaining lifetime is related to goal setting, social network composition,
attitudes, and behavior. However, to better understand those findings, it is important to know if this subjective perception
of being close to death corresponds with the time a person actually survives. The aim of the present study was to examine
the predictive and time–dynamic relationship between subjective and objective nearness to death using 16-year longitudinal
data from the Berlin Aging Study (Baltes and Mayer 1999; N = 516 older adults between 70 and 104 years). Older adults who felt close to death at the first measurement occasion were
more likely to die over the following 16 years than persons who did not report feeling close to dying. Results of multilevel
analyses revealed that there was a time–dynamic relationship such that subjective nearness to death increased as a function
of objective nearness to death. Our results indicate that very old adults seem to have quite accurate perceptions of their
nearness to death.

  • Content Type Journal Article
  • DOI 10.1007/s10433-010-0165-1
  • Authors
    • Dana Kotter-Grühn, Department of Psychology, North Carolina State University, Campus Box 7650, Raleigh, NC 27695-7650, USA
    • Daniel Grühn, Department of Psychology, North Carolina State University, Campus Box 7650, Raleigh, NC 27695-7650, USA
    • Jacqui Smith, Department of Psychology and Institute for Social Research, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI USA

Trends in the ability to work among men and women in the older American population: 1997–2007

Abstract  

Since the passage of United States (US)’ Social Security Amendments in 1983, the age for full Social Security benefits has
been increasing from age 65 to 67 depending on one’s year of birth. These increases introduce incremental savings in the long-term
funding of the US public pension system, but they assume that American workers will be able to continue working past the age
of 65. In this study, we examine self-reported work disability for men and women using the 1997 through 2007 National Health
Interview Surveys. There are small but significant decreases in work disability and fairly significant increases in labor
force activity among men and women in their 60s and for women in their 50s over the 11-year period, and relatively little
difference between men’s and women’s trends. Changes in the educational composition of the population play a major explanatory
role in the decrease of work disability. Without this compositional shift, work disability would have increased. Increased
obesity over this period exerted an opposite effect; without this change, the decrease in work disability would have been
greater.

  • Content Type Journal Article
  • DOI 10.1007/s10433-010-0166-0
  • Authors
    • Sandra L. Reynolds, School of Aging Studies, University of South Florida, 4202 E. Fowler Ave., MHC 1300, Tampa, FL 33620, USA
    • Eileen M. Crimmins, Andrus Gerontology Center, University of Southern California, 3715 McClintock Ave., MC 0191, Los Angeles, CA 90089-0191, USA

What drives retirement income worries in Europe? A multilevel analysis

Abstract  

Nations in Europe have been developing rapidly since the formation of the European Union (EU), not only socially and demographically,
but economically as well. One question a number of countries will face during this period of structural transition will be
how (and how well) they are able to support their citizens in old age. A related question involves whether individuals worry
about their financial future in retirement, and the extent to which they take active steps to save in order to ensure an adequate
standard of living. In this study, we analyze data from the third wave of the European Social Survey, which represents 21,416
working adults from 23 countries in Europe. We used multilevel modeling to focus on the explanatory factors that underlie
individual and country-level effects in worry about future retirement income and saving behavior. Findings suggest that once
individual-level dimensions are taken into account, country-level predictors explain appreciable variance in worry, but not
saving practices. Moreover, we found that retirement income worries are more severe in countries with a strong projected increase
in future population aging and a high level of income inequality. Finally, pension age reforms were not found to appreciably
affect retirement income worries. Results of the study are discussed in terms of not only the individual difference dimensions
that precipitate future income worry and saving, but also ways in which macro-level policy initiatives could potentially alleviate
some of the worries of European citizens.

  • Content Type Journal Article
  • DOI 10.1007/s10433-010-0167-z
  • Authors
    • Douglas A. Hershey, Department of Psychology, Oklahoma State University, 116 North Murray Hall, Stillwater OK, 74078, USA
    • Kène Henkens, Department of Sociology, Netherlands Interdisciplinary Demographic Institute (NIDI); Tilburg University, P.O. Box 11650, 2502 AR The Hague, The Netherlands
    • Hendrik P. van Dalen, Department of Economics and CentER, Netherlands Interdisciplinary Demographic Institute (NIDI); Tilburg University, P.O. Box 11650, 2502 AR The Hague, The Netherlands