Social network patterns among the elderly in relation to their perceived life history in an Eriksonian perspective

Abstract

Past research has shown that social network patterns, the remembered past, and sense of coherence (SOC) are all important factors for well-being in old age. In this study, these interrelationships were examined, with special attention given to the gender differences, concerning structures and functions of the social network. Fifty-eight elderly individuals reported life-history evaluations according to the psychosocial conflicts, proposed by Erik H. Erikson. They also reported social network patterns and SOC according to standardized questionnaires. Factor analyses revealed that there are gender differences concerning the patterns of social network. For women, social anchorage was an important factor, while for men, social influence was more important. Structures and functions of the social network correlated with both positive and negative life history evaluations, but the correlations differed between the sexes. When SOC was controlled the correlations changed, but to a small degree. Stepwise discriminant analyses showed that the male social network patterns were predicted from negative evaluations of the identity period, low scores on the sense of manageability, positive evaluations of the trust/autonomy period and high scores on the sense of comprehensibility. The female social network patterns were predicted from negative evaluations of the trust/autonomy and from the late generativity periods and positive evaluations of the early generativity period. It was hypothesized that structures and functions of the social network are sometimes used as compensation for shortcomings in the internal-based self-concept.