Top

Published in:

01-09-2008 | Original Investigation

The degree of kinship and its association with reciprocity and exchange in the relationships of visually impaired older adults

Authors: Katherina N.-L. Flaig, Steven E. Mock, Joann P. Reinhardt

Published in: European Journal of Ageing | Issue 3/2008

Abstract

This study draws on an evolutionary model of exchange in relationships to examine the nature of perceived reciprocity in the context of kin and non-kin relationships among a sample of visually impaired older adults (age 63–99). Further, we examined the direct and moderating impact of functional impairment and adaptation to visual impairment on the nature of perceived reciprocity. Results showed that the greater the degree of genetic relatedness the more imbalanced the exchange. It was also found that degree of adaptation to visual impairment moderated the association between genetic relatedness and perceived exchange, such that the greater the degree of genetic relatedness the more people reported they gave rather than received except at very low levels of adaptation, when people received more than they gave the greater the degree of genetic relatedness. Thus, an evolutionary model was supported such that imbalanced exchange was found more with greater degrees of genetic relatedness, but the direction of exchange was different for high versus low levels of adaptation to vision impairment.

Antonucci TC, Jackson J (1990) The role of reciprocity in social support. In: Sarason IG, Sarason BR, Pierce GR (eds) Social Support : An Interactional View. John Wiley & Sons, Inc. Publishing, New York, pp 111–128

Baltes PB (1997) On the incomplete architecture of human ontogeny. Selection, optimization, and compensation as foundation of developmental theory. Am Psychol 52:S366–S380CrossRef

Barrera M, Sandler IN, Ramsay TB (1981) Preliminary development of a scale of socials support: Studies on college students. Am J Community Psychol 9:S435–S443CrossRef

Bengtson VL, Roberts RE (1991) Intergenerational solidarity in aging families: an example of formal theory construction. J Marriage Fam 53:856–870CrossRef

Bennett KM (2005) Social engagement as a longitudinal predictor of objective and subjective health. J Solid State Electrochem 2:48–55

Bryk AS, Raudenbush SW (2002) Hierarchical linear models: Applications and data analysis methods, 2nd edn. Sage, Thousand Oaks, CA

Burnstein E, Crandall C, Kitayama S (1994) Some neo-Darwinian decision rules for altruism: Weighing cues for inclusive fitness as a function of the biological importance of decision. J Pers Soc Psychol 67:773–789CrossRef

Center for the Study of Aging, Human Development (1975) Multidimensional functional assessment: The OARS methodology. Duke University Press, Durham, NC

Clark MS (1981) Noncomparability of benefits given and received: a cue to the existence of friendship. Soc Psychol Q 44:375–381CrossRef

Cole T, Teboul JB (2004) Non-zero-sum collaboration, reciprocity, and the preference for similarity: developing an adaptive model of close relational functioning. Pers Relat 11:135–160CrossRef

Cosmides L (1989) The logic of social exchange: has natural selection shaped how humans reason? Studies with the Wason selection task. Cognition 31:187–276CrossRef

Davis JN, Daly M (1997) Evolutionary theory and the human family. Q Rev Biol 72:407–435CrossRef

Fehr E, Gächter S (2002) Altruistic punishment in humans. Nature 415(10):137–140CrossRef

Fiske AP (1992) The four elementary forms of sociality: framework for a unified theory of social relations. Psychol Rev 99:689–723CrossRef

Fraley RC, Brumbaugh CC, Marks MJ (2005) The Evolution and function of adult attachment: a comparative and phylogenetic analysis. J Pers Soc Psychol 89(5):731–746CrossRef

Freund AM, Baltes PB (2002) Life-management strategies of selection, optimization, and compensation: measurement by self-report and construct validity. J Pers Soc Psychol 82:642–662CrossRef

Hamilton WD (1964) The genetic evolution of social behavior. I and II. J Theor Biol 7:1–52CrossRef

Horowitz A, Reinhardt JP (1998) Psychological adjustment to vision impairment among the elderly: development of the adaptation to vision loss (avl) scale. J Vis Impair Blind 92:S30–S41

Horowitz A, Teresi JE, Cassels LA (1991) Development of a Vision Screening Questionnaire for older people. J Gerontol Soc Work 17:37–56CrossRef

Horowitz A, Brennan M, Reinhardt JP (2005) Prevalence and risk factors for self-reported vision impairment among middle-age and older adults. Res Aging 27:307–326CrossRef

Howse K, Ebrahim S, Gooberman-Hill R (2005) Help-avoidance: why older people do not always seek help. Rev Clin Gerontol 14:63–70CrossRef

Jung J (1990) The role of reciprocity in social support. Basic Appl Soc Psych 11:243–253CrossRef

Klein Ikkink K, van Tilburg T (1998) Do older adults’ network members continue to provide instrumental support in unbalanced relationships? J Soc Pers Relat 15:59–75CrossRef

Lang RF, Neyer FJ (2005) Social relationships as nature and nurture: An evolutionary-psychological framework of social relationship regulation. Zeitschrift für Soziologie der Erziehung und Sozialisation 2:162–177

Liang J, Krause NM, Bennett JM (2001) Social exchange and well-being: is giving better than receiving? Psychol Ageing 16(3):511–523CrossRef

Luke D (2004) Multilevel modeling. Sage, Thousand Oaks

Neyer FJ, Lang FR (2003) Blood is thicker than water: kinship orientation across adulthood. J Pers Soc Psychol 84:310–321CrossRef

Preacher KJ, Curran PJ, Bauer DJ (2006) Computational tools for probing interactions in multiple linear regression, multilevel modeling, and latent curve analysis. J Educ Behav Stat 31:437–448CrossRef

Reinhardt JP (1996) The importance of friendship and family support in adaptation to chronic vision impairment. J Gerontol Psychol Sci 51B:S268–S278

Reinhardt JP (2001) Effects of positive and negative support received and provided on adaptation to chronic physical impairment. Appl Dev Sci 15:76–85CrossRef

Reinhardt JP, Boerner K, Benn D (2003) Predicting individual change in support over time among chronically impaired older adults. Psychol Aging 18:S770–S779CrossRef

Trivers RL (1971) The evolution of reciprocal altruism. Q Rev Biol 46:35–57CrossRef

Uehara ES (1995) Reciprocity Reconsidered: Gouldner’s ‘Moral Norm Of Reciprocity ‘And Social Support. J Soc Pers Relat 12(4):483–502CrossRef

Van Horn JE, Schaufeli WB, Taris TW (2001) Lack of reciprocity among Dutch teachers: validation of reciprocity indices and their relation to stress and well-being. Work Stress 15(3):S191–S213CrossRef

Van Tilburg T (1998) Losing and gaining in old age: changes in personal network size and social support in a four-year longitudinal study. J Gerontol 53B:S313–S323

Van Tilburg T, van Groenou MB (2002) Social support network and health changes among Dutch older adults. J Soc Issues 58:697–713CrossRef

Van Ypern NW, Buunk BP (1990) A longitudinal study of equity and satisfaction in intimate relationships. Eur J Soc Psychol 20:287–309

Wahrendorf M, Von dem Knesebeck O, Siegrist J (2006) Social productivity and well-being of older people: Baseline results from the SHARE Study. J Solid State Electrochem 3:67–73

Title: The degree of kinship and its association with reciprocity and exchange in the relationships of visually impaired older adults
Authors: Katherina N.-L. Flaig
Steven E. Mock
Joann P. Reinhardt
Publication date: 01-09-2008
Publisher: Springer-Verlag
Published in: European Journal of Ageing / Issue 3/2008
Print ISSN: 1613-9372
Electronic ISSN: 1613-9380
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10433-008-0085-5

At a glance: The STEP trials

Springer Medicine

The degree of kinship and its association with reciprocity and exchange in the relationships of visually impaired older adults

Abstract

At a glance: The STEP trials

Springer Medicine

Abstract

Please log in to get access to this content

Other articles of this Issue 3/2008

Internet use and the digital divide in the English longitudinal study of ageing

Do good self-managers have less physical and social resource deficits and more well-being in later life?

Predictors of uptake and adherence to the use of hip protectors among nursing-home residents

Life satisfaction and quality of life of older New Zealanders with and without impaired vision: a descriptive, comparative study

Measuring the impact of increased exercise on quality of life in older adults: the UQQoL, a new instrument

Influence of psychological characteristics and social relations on receiving preventive home visits in older men and women