Supportive, aversive, ambivalent, and indifferent partner evaluations in midlife and young-old adulthood

Timothy Windsor, Peter Butterworth

    Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

    19 Citations (Scopus)

    Abstract

    Age group differences in self-reported supportive, aversive, ambivalent, and indifferent partner relations were examined in a large sample of midlife (aged 40-44 at baseline, n = 1,719) and older (aged 60-64 at baseline, n = 1,675) married and partnered adults assessed on two occasions 4 years apart. Older adults, particularly older men, were more likely to rate their relationship as supportive and less likely to rate their relationship as aversive relative to midlife adults. Midlife adults were more likely to provide ambivalent or indifferent assessments (as opposed to supportive assessments) of their relationship relative to older adults. Results are discussed in the context of possible developmental changes in interpersonal and intimate relations occurring in middle and older adulthood.

    Original languageEnglish
    Pages (from-to)287-295
    Number of pages9
    JournalJournals of Gerontology. Series B: Psychological Sciences and Social Sciences
    Volume65B
    Issue number3
    DOIs
    Publication statusPublished - May 2010

    Keywords

    • Ambivalence
    • Midlife
    • Spousal relations
    • Young-old

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