Reminiscing and intergenerational advice giving during the COVID-19 pandemic

Abstract

Objectives

Given that types of reminiscing consistently predict psychological well-being, the current study investigated how older adults’ reminiscing related to their appraisal of the COVID-19 pandemic and to the advice letters they wrote for younger adults.

Methods

The sample of 107 community-dwelling older adults (M_age = 74.55, SD_age = 5.89) completed self-report questionnaires to report (a) level of life-disruption experienced due to the pandemic, (b) type and frequency of reminiscing during the pandemic, and (c) current positive and negative appraisals of the pandemic. Forty participants also produced essays providing advice to younger people about how to overcome a life challenge such as the pandemic.

Results

Correlational analyses revealed that positive reminiscence functions positively correlated with both positive (mean r(105) = .42, p < .006) and negative pandemic appraisals (mean r(105) = .44, p < .006), whereas negative reminiscence functions correlated with negative pandemic appraisals (mean r(105) = .31, p < .006) but not with positive pandemic appraisals (mean r(105) = .15, p > .006). Individuals who reminisced more tended to produce advice that was more positively (r(38) =.36, p = .02) and negatively (r(38) = .34, p = .03) valanced; and those who reminisced more with the function of identity development also gave advice that focused on this issue (r(38) = .44, p = .004).

Conclusion

Overall, these results suggest that positive reminiscing is linked to older adults’ capacity to view both positive and negative facets of challenging life situations

Keywords:

• Advice-giving
• appraisals and aging
• COVID-19 pandemic
• intergenerational communication
• older adulthood
• reminiscence

Acknowledgements

This research was the basis for an undergraduate Honours thesis in psychology completed by the first author. The authors would like to acknowledge Dr. Mitchell LaPointe for feedback on a previous version of this project. The authors also thank all the individuals who participated in this study.

Disclosure statement

The authors report there are no competing interests to declare.

Additional information

Funding

The author(s) reported there is no funding associated with the work featured in this article.