Being alone versus being with people: disengagement in the daily experience of older adults.
This research investigates the quantity and quality of time alone or "solitude" in the daily lives of older adults. A sample of 92 retired adults carried electronic pagers for 1 week and filled out self-reports on their companionship and internal states in response to signals received at random times. Analysis of the 3,412 reports indicates that those who were unmarried and living alone spent a majority of their waking hours alone and experienced low affect and arousal when in this dominant part of their lives. For the married, solitude was also a major part of daily life, filling 40% of their time, but, although it was related with somewhat lower affect, it was also related with higher arousal. These results suggest that being alone is not a wholley negative experience for this age group, especially for those who have the regular companionship of a spouse.
D000368:Aged; D000375:Aging; D003071:Cognition; D003625:Data Collection; D004644:Emotions; D004651:Employment; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007182:Income; D007398:Interpersonal Relations; D008132:Loneliness; D008297:Male; D008393:Marriage; D008875:Middle Aged; D012179:Retirement; D012737:Sex Factors