title: Questions for future studies: social relationships in old age.
abstract: It is impressive, not to mention refreshing, to see four careful, weighty studies on social relationships that are not primarily concerned with caregiving. The fact that they are both longitudinal and cross-cultural makes them even more impressive and highlights general issues in the area of social relationships as well as more specific issues of aging. Four issues seem to me to be notable: 1) kinds of relationships, 2) continuity of relationships, 3) functions of relationships, and 4) cultural differences. I will consider each in turn.
authors.affiliation: Rutgers University, USA.
authors.forename: L E
authors.initials: LE
authors.lastname: Troll
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000375:Aging / Q000523:psychology*; D003469:Culture; D006801:Humans; D007398:Interpersonal Relations