Hellenic College

Abstract: This study assesses the implications a miscarriage history has on women's pregnancy-specific anxiety and feelings of prenatal maternal–fetal attachment during the 1st and 3rd trimesters of a subsequent pregnancy. Thirty-five pregnant women (N = 10 with a history of miscarriage) volunteered participation completing the Pregnancy Outcome Questionnaire (POQ) , the Maternal Antenatal Attachment Scale (MAAS) and a demographic/reproductive history questionnaire during the first trimester of pregnancy. Of these, 24 participants completed the measures again during the third trimester of pregnancy. Women with a miscarriage history reported significantly higher pregnancy-specific anxiety at trimester 1 than women with no miscarriage history; even when the effects of parity were controlled. All expectant mothers, irrespective of miscarriage history, scored similarly at trimester 1 on the MAAS scales. By the 3rd trimester, pregnancy-specific anxiety had significantly decreased for women with a miscarriage history who...

Abstract: In previous large-scale studies, smoking has been found to be associated either with extraversion or anxiety, though not both. Using a large population of adult American males, anxiety and extraversion scores were examined in groups of never smokers, former light, former heavy, current light and current heavy smokers to test the hypotheses that smokers would be both more extraverted and more anxious than non-smokers. Two independent measures of both traits were used. Heavy current smokers were seen to be significantly higher than non-smokers on both measures of neuroticism or anxiety; there were no differences between groups in extraversion. The small magnitude of reported relations led to the suggestion that future research focus on more meaningful classification of smokers and more specific facets of personality.

Abstract: Although gerontologists have shown considerable interest in describing possible phases of retirement, the temporal course of retirement experience remains largely unspecified. This study of 293 male retirees from the Normative Aging Study used cross-sectional data to compare levels of life satisfaction and lesiure activities across 6-month time intervals within the first 3 years after retirement. Regression models were used to test the hypothesis that men retired 0 to 6 months differed from men retired for longer periods. Findings showed that, compared with these recent retirees, men retired 13 to 18 months had lower levels of overall life satisfaction and self-perceived involvement in physical activities. Analyses of the constituents of life satisfaction showed greater optimism and future orientation among recent retirees and a comparative deficit at 13 to 18 months. These findings support an interpretation that the immediate postretirement period is marked by more enthusiasm and that some degree of temporary letdown or dysphoria is likely during the second year of retirement.

Abstract: This study investigated the level of workers' informal retirement-oriented behavior in the years preceding retirement. Two research questions were addressed: (a) What is the relationship between retirement proximity and preretirement involvement behaviors, and (b) How might retirement involvement levels be further affected by attitude toward retirement, job characteristics, and personal resources? Data were collected from 816 male workers participating in a long-term panel study of aging who anticipated retiring within the next 15 years. Results indicated that preretirement involvement increased with retirement proximity and that the association held even among men who dreaded retirement or were satisfied with their jobs. These findings suggest that a process of anticipating retirement is underway well in advance of withdrawal from work and that a gathering involvement in retirement is normative as the event approaches.