Views of the Self and others at Different Ages: Utility of Repertory Grid Technique in Detecting the Positivity Effect in Aging

Abstract

Socioemotional selectivity theory (Carstensen, 1995) posits a “positivity effect” in older adults, describing an increasing tendency to attend to, process, interpret, and remember events and others in life in a positive fashion as one ages. Drawing on personal construct theory, Viney (1993) observes increasing integration of constructions of self with others across the lifespan. The current study extends assessment of the positivity effect, integrating it with personal construct theory, by use of Repertory Grid (RepGrid) analysis. Consistent with the positivity effect, older adults (ages 54–86) described others more positively on RepGrid measures in comparison to younger adults (ages 18–25). Older adults also described the self as more similar to others and tended to describe the self more positively. The age groups did not differ in measures of psychological distress or well being with the exception of older adults describing more autonomy.