2023 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

Development of the psycho-social model of dynamics in social relationships among older adults

Research Project

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Project/Area Number	19K03206
Research Category	Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (C)
Allocation Type	Multi-year Fund
Section	一般
Review Section	Basic Section 10010:Social psychology-related
Research Institution	Bunri University of Hospitality (2021-2023) The University of Tokyo (2019-2020)
Principal Investigator	Sugawara Ikuko 西武文理大学, サービス経営学部, 准教授 (10509821)
Project Period (FY)	2019-04-01 – 2024-03-31
Keywords	高齢者の社会関係 / 社会活動 / 主観的well-being / 獲得と喪失
Outline of Final Research Achievements	Social relationships are one of the important factors that influence health and well-being among older adults. Although much attention has focused on the　adaptation process to loss of social ties, people may maintain or develop new relationships and gain psychological benefits from these relationships in old age. The present study aimed to investigate the psychosocial processes by which social relationships affect well-being among older adults. Data was gathered with older adults who had introduced ICT-mediated social interactions and activities as well as community-dwelling older adults. The processes that led to the introduction of social interactions through social media or digital communication tools and the maintenance of social relationships were examined. These results revealed personal and social factors that influence the dynamic changes of social relationships among older adults, including the effects of the pandemic and the introduction of new technologies.
Free Research Field	社会心理学
Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements	情報技術の発展や感染症の世界的流行という時代的イベントによって人と人のつながりの様相は近年大きく変化している。それは高齢者においても同様であり、社会関係を豊かに維持し発展させる者と、社会的孤立や孤独の状況に陥る者とが併存している。本研究ではそのような差が生じるプロセスを質的研究から明らかにするとともに、量的研究で社会関係や主観的well-beingの変化を生じさせる個人要因、社会環境要因を検討した。本研究の成果は社会関係とwell-beingをつなぐ心理社会的経路を明らかにする研究であり、またその知見は高齢者の孤独や孤立の予防、高齢期のwell-being実現のために活用されるものである。