Chapter 2 Theories and Methods

The Study of Aging in the Past Early developments in aging research based on personal experience 17th Century researchers trained in natural sciences & medicine –Scientific Methods –Systematic Observations 18 th century: math in the studying aging © 2012 Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved.

The Study of Aging in the Past 19th Century –Quetelet “social physics” Used quantitative methods (numbers) to study physical and social age differences –“On the Nature of Man and the Development of His Faculties” (1835) © 2012 Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved.

The Study of Aging in the Past First use of term “Gerontology” –Elie Metchnikoff Pasteur Institute, Paris, 1905 Society of Geriatry 1912 “Senescense, the Last Half of Life” (1922) G. Stanley Hall © 2012 Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved.

Gerontology Research Today Rapid growth after World War II Began to study normal aging Major journals devoted to topic of aging –The Journals of Gerontology –The Gerontologist –50,000 bibliography entries on aging © 2012 Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved.

Is Gerontology a Discipline? Biomedicine Studies –Changes in body that come with age Experts were in most agreement on content of this subfield Geriatrics draws heavily on biomedical knowledge –Contribute though clinical research © 2012 Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved.

Is Gerontology a Discipline? Psychosocial Studies –Changes that take place within the individual –Changes between individuals and groups Memory; Creativity; Learning Personality; Relationships Death and dying © 2012 Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved.

Is Gerontology a Discipline? Socioeconomic-Environmental Studies –Effects of aging on social institutions Sociological definition of an institution Economy Family Health care system © 2012 Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved.

Is Gerontology a Discipline? Social Gerontology Includes integration of all three core areas of aging studies Makes up part of the total body of gerontological knowledge Perspective of individual & social system Life course perspective on change © 2012 Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved.

Interpretive Perspective Theories within the perspective –Social constructionism –Social exchange theory –Symbolic-interactionist –Social phenomonology –Ethnomethodology Few gerontologists use this perspective © 2012 Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved.

Functionalist Perspective Based on structural-functionalist theory –Durkheim / Parsons Society is a system made up of many parts Individual Aging Societal Change © 2012 Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved.

Conflict Perspective Tensions exist between groups in society –Karl Marx Struggle between social classes Gerontologists have applied conflict perspective –Older people become victims of system that serves only to increase profit © 2012 Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved.

Research Issues and Methods Experimental Designs Purpose: Does one variable cause change in another variable? –Problem: Correlation is not causation Differences between age groups may not be due to age alone © 2012 Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved.

Research Issues and Methods: The APC Problem Gerontologists study age change –Age Effects Physical decline –Cohort Effects Related to time of individual's birth –Period Effects Time of measurement © 2012 Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved.

Disentangling the APC Problem: Cross-Sectional Design Several age groups studied at one time Is most common research design in gerontology –Strengths of Cross-Sectional Designs –Limitations of Cross-Sectional Designs © 2012 Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved.

Disentangling the APC Problem: Longitudinal Design Studies the same individuals or age cohorts over time Example: Health and Retirement Study, began 1992, still ongoing –Strengths of Longitudinal Designs –Limitations of Longitudinal Designs © 2012 Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved.

Disentangling the APC Problem: Time-Lag Design Attempts to overcome limitations of simple cross-sectional & longitudinal design –Measures groups of people of same age, at different points in time Limitations of time-Lag Design –Confounds cohort effects with environmental effects © 2012 Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved.

Figure 2.1 Cross-Sectional, Longitudinal, and Time-Lag Designs © 2012 Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved.

Research Issues and Methods: The Researcher’s Tool Kit Each method has value No method can give a complete picture of aging Long-term effects of interventions only possible using a longitudinal design No matter the method, researchers must look closely to discover causes of change © 2012 Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved.

Research Issues and Methods: The Researcher’s Tool Kit Tool kit includes paradigms –Positivist –Critical gerontology Tool kit includes methods –Quantitative –Qualitative –Mixed (quantitative and qualitative) © 2012 Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved.

Quantitative and Qualitative Research Methods Paradigms –Frameworks for thinking about and understanding natural or social phenomena –Defines research questions –Guides methods for conducting study © 2012 Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved.

Quantitative and Qualitative Research Methods Positivism –A natural science paradigm Positivist methods of natural science –Mathematical measurement –Statistical methods; Cause-and-effect Main approach to scientific study in Gerontology © 2012 Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved.

Quantitative and Qualitative Research Methods Critical Gerontology –Questions positivism, because it Creates a system that dominates older people Turns older people into passive objects Whereas, Critical Gerontology: –Seeks to empower older people –Understanding of forces that shape their lives © 2012 Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved.

The Humanities Literature, Philosophy, Fine Arts, etc. Humanities Studies on Aging –Film and video portrayal; Photo archives; Self portraits; Diaries; Autobiography The human face of aging New ways of thinking about aging © 2012 Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved.

Information Literacy: The Challenge of the Internet A vital skill for understanding aging today World Wide Web –A storehouse of information –No assurance of quality information Readers must keep in mind: –Are sites with advertisements biased? Infomercials? © 2012 Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved.

Ethical Issues in Research Ethical Challenges of Research with Human Beings –Vulnerable groups Safeguards –Colleague review of research plans –Professional association codes of ethics –University standards and guidelines © 2012 Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved.

Ethical Issues in Research Why are research ethics important? –To protect an institution (i.e., university) from lawsuit –To ensure subjects understand the studies in which they take part –To protect research subjects from harm Unethical research sours the public © 2012 Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved.

Future of Gerontological Theory and Methods New and more sophisticated quantitative methods Linking micro and macro levels of theory Further development of theories that challenge myths of aging Humanities Technology © 2012 Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved.