Molly Harper 
How do widowed male and female experiences of age-related changes such as loss, illness, and vulnerability differ in relation to attachment style and social connectedness? 

Bachelor Thesis from the year 2019 in the subject Psychology – Miscellaneous, grade: 68%, Edinburgh Napier University, language: English, abstract: Old-age is a time associated with major transitions which can have profound effects on elderly well-being. Research points towards the idea that distinct inter-individual differences exist, like attachment style, which significantly impact adjustment to ageing. The imperative role of these variables paved way for this research as a significant literature gap was revealed. The focus of this study seeks to investigate how widowed elderly male and female experiences of age-related changes such as loss, illness and vulnerability differ in relation to attachment style and social support. Encompassing loss, gender, social support and attachment as a collection of variables which may significantly impact upon well-being, these were translated into research questions to guide analysis.

The sample consisted of participants (n=5) aged 65-80 who were widowed within the last five years. Semi-structured interviews explored the experiences of ageing, while quantitative research measured participant’s attachment style and social network score on the Relationship Questionnaire (Bartholomew and Horowitz, 1991) and Lubben Social Network-6 Scale (Lubben, 1988). Interviews were transcribed and analysed using Interpretive Phenomenological Analysis (IPA), from the perspective of Baltes and Baltes (1990) SOC-model to determine its potential in successful ageing.

This stemmed the emergence of three master themes which encompassed ageing as a drastic transformation, spurring a newfound freedom while entailing loneliness, motivational declines and heightened vulnerabilities. Notable, was the collective dislike of feeling like a ‘burden’. Participant’s performance on attachment and social measures analysed against emergent themes, served as support for the regulating role of social ties and secure-attachment on well-being and satisfaction. The study highlights the benefits of SOC in successfully adjusting to dependencies in the face of declines. Overall, an idiographic exploration of ageing and its impacting variables was established, providing valuable insights and building upon a neglected area which highlights important implications for future research.