title: Dispositional characteristics, relational well-being and perceived life satisfaction and empowerment of elders.
abstract: The broad purpose of this research is to identify the key modifiable variables most related to elders' life satisfaction and empowerment in order to improve the efficacy of interventions projects. Our study aims to integrate the theoretical perspectives of personality and community psychology focusing both on dispositional characteristics and relational well-being of elders, investigating triads, composed by an elder, a paid caregiver and the most involved relative. This study explores the impact of (1) some socio-demographic characteristics of elders, (2) some modifiable dispositional variables of elders and (3) elders' relational well-being on elders' empowerment and life satisfaction.
  
  
  
  The study involved 429 people in 143 triads. Semi-structured interviews with elders, paid caregiver and close relatives were used to construct a new pilot measure of elders' relational well-being. Life Satisfaction, Empowerment, Loneliness, Positivity, Humor and Emotions self-efficacy scales were also administered. Hierarchical multiple regressions were performed.
  
  
  
  Elders' positivity, relational well-being of elders and living alone were significantly related to empowerment. Elders' relational well-being and positivity significantly contributed to life satisfaction.
  
  
  
  Interventions to increase empowerment and life satisfaction should focus primarily on augmenting positivity and relational well-being integrating the theoretical premises of both personality and community psychology.
authors.affiliation: a Department of Dynamic and Clinical Psychology , Sapienza University of Rome , Rome , Italy.
authors.forename: Donata
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Francescato
authors.affiliation: a Department of Dynamic and Clinical Psychology , Sapienza University of Rome , Rome , Italy.
authors.forename: Lina
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Pezzuti
authors.affiliation: a Department of Dynamic and Clinical Psychology , Sapienza University of Rome , Rome , Italy.|b Department of Psychology , Sapienza University of Rome , Rome , Italy.
authors.forename: Minou
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Mebane
authors.affiliation: a Department of Dynamic and Clinical Psychology , Sapienza University of Rome , Rome , Italy.
authors.forename: Manuela
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Tomai
authors.affiliation: a Department of Dynamic and Clinical Psychology , Sapienza University of Rome , Rome , Italy.
authors.forename: Maura
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Benedetti
authors.affiliation: a Department of Dynamic and Clinical Psychology , Sapienza University of Rome , Rome , Italy.
authors.forename: Annalisa
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Moro
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000375:Aging / Q000523:psychology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008132:Loneliness / Q000523:psychology*; D008297:Male; D000067656:Optimism / Q000523:psychology*; D010549:Personal Satisfaction; D011209:Power, Psychological; D020377:Self Efficacy
keywords: Aging; caregivers; empowerment; family; life satisfaction; relational well-being