title: The roles of fatalism, self-confidence, and intellectual resources in the disablement process in older adults.
abstract: In this study, the authors examined the relations between 3 psychological variables-fatalism, self-confidence, and intellectual resources-and the subsequent development of illness and disability 20 years later in an adult sample. Results indicated that greater fatalism, assessed in 1974, predicted greater difficulty in everyday cognitive tasks as well as illness in 1994. Higher self-confidence in 1974 was associated with lesser degrees of cognitive and fine motor difficulty in 1994. Greater intellectual resources in 1974 (a combination of intellectual flexibility and education) predicted less cognitive and gross motor difficulty as well as lesser degrees of illness in 1994. Some of these relations were stronger for older than for middle-aged individuals. Results are discussed in the context of models of the disablement process.
authors.affiliation: Section on Socio-environmental Studies, National Institute of Mental Health, NIH, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, MSC 7055, Bethesda, Maryland 20892-7055, USA. leslie.caplan@nih.gov
authors.forename: Leslie J
authors.initials: LJ
authors.lastname: Caplan
authors.forename: Carmi
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Schooler
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000375:Aging / Q000523:psychology*; D001293:Attitude to Death; D003072:Cognition Disorders; D006233:Persons with Disabilities / Q000523:psychology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007360:Intelligence; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D019957:Motor Skills Disorders; D012649:Self Concept