Age/cohort differences in several aspects of the self-system were investigated utilizing a sentence completion paradigm. Eighty-eight adults over age sixty and one hundred eight adults under age forty served as subjects. Subjects were asked to complete 30 self-referent sentence stems which were pre-structured to elicit information from the self-system. Responses were subjected to a content analysis utilizing a coding system which contained concepts used by subjects in their self-representations. Contents were coded for dimensions conceptually related to Physical Health, Autonomy, Self-Evaluation, Depression, Spirituality, and Altruism. Frequencies of codings were counted and subjected to statistical analysis for performing age group comparisons.

This study extended research on the influence of counselor Christian values on the client's perceptions of the counselor by adding consensus values to the description of the counselor and examining the effects of age and religious maturity of the client. Subjects consisted of two samples, one of 250 undergraduate students (younger group) and the other of adults of at least thirty-five years of age (older group). There were equal number of males and females in each group. Subjects read one of five descriptions of a counselor, which varied according to the religious values of the counselor, and then rated the counselor. The following instruments were used to rate the counselor: Counselor Rating Form, Confidence in Counselor's Helpfulness Scale, Willingness to Meet the Counselor Scale and the Similarity of Values and Opinions Scale. The religiosity of the subjects was measured with the Religious Orientation Scale, the Christian Orthodoxy Scale and the Religious Status Inventory. The major premise of the study that the Christian values of the counselor influence the client's perceptions of the counselor as the client increases in age and religious maturity was partially supported. A significant counselor Christian value by age interaction was obtained in which the older subjects …

The purpose of the present study was to compare 42 community-dwelling spouse and child Alzheimer's Disease caregivers with 38 community-dwelling potential caregivers on salience of illness symptoms, and accuracy of judging symptoms of illnesses.

Personality characteristics of spousal and adult children and active potential caregivers of persons with Alzheimer's Disease were studied in order to better predict caregiver burden and aspects of well-being. Contrary to prediction, no differences were found between spouse and adult children active caregivers on measures of well-being. Additionally, adult children potential caregivers indicated feeling less control over their lives than spouse potential caregivers. When social desirability was controlled, active caregivers reported greater fluctuations in affect than did potential caregivers. As predicted, personality characteristics of individuals were found to have the biggest role in determining which individuals experience stress or burden.