The negative side of social interaction: Impact on psychological well-being

Abstract

Examined the relative impact of positive and negative social outcomes on the well-being of 120 60-89 yr old widowed women by conducting standardized interviews in 4 senior citizen centers that varied in size, neighborhood characteristics, and types of activities emphasized. Results show that negative social outcomes were more consistently and more strongly related to well-being than were positive social outcomes. This effect of negative social involvement did not appear to be due to major differences among Ss with high vs moderate or low levels of problematic social ties. ANOVA showed that Ss in the 3 social-tie groups differed neither in important background characteristics nor in indices of social competence. It is suggested that the results demonstrate the importance of assessing the specific content of social relations. It is concluded that, like other age groups, the elderly should be expected to have highly differentiated social needs and that the diversity of such needs should be reflected in social programs designed for them. (52 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2006 APA, all rights reserved). © 1984 American Psychological Association.