Does Having Ageist Attitudes in The Middle Aged Affect The Process of Retirement Planning?

Objectives: It is important to be prepared for retirement period for an active, healthy and productive old age. The process of retirement planning, which gains importance in conjunction with gradually aging of societies, could be affected by many personal and environmental factors. In this study, it was aimed to investigate whether ageist attitudes in the middle aged affect the retirement planning process. Materials and Methods: The cross-sectional study was conducted with workers in Turkey. Forty-five women (54.9%) and 37 men (45.1%) with a mean age of 46.03 ± 6.00 years (Min. 40- Max. 62) participated in the study. “The Process of Retirement Planning Scale” and “The Ageism Attitude Scale” were used as outcome measures. Results: The results indicated that the individuals who have ageist attitudes had more planning their post-retirement lifestyle, psychosocial process and health (p<.05). Retirement planning behavior varied according to working duration, education level and income level (p<.05). Conclusion: Ageist attitudes in the middle aged, even though seems to be one of the motivational sources of retirement planning behavior, might affect negatively to feasible and optimal planning, and post-retirement adaptation. Professionals delivering pre-retirement training might need to identify ageism and to plan appropriate programs.

Keywords:

Retirement, ageism attitude, middle aged,

PDF

___

Aegon. (2019). Retirement readiness index. Retrieved from https://www.aegon.com/research/aegon-retirement-readiness-survey/aegon-retirement-readiness-index/
Ajzen, I. (2002). Perceived behavioral control, self‐efficacy, locus of control, and the theory of planned behavior. Journal of applied social psychology, 32(4), 665-683.
Çayır, K. (2012). Yaşçılık: Yaşa dayalı ayrımcılık. In K. Çayır & M. A. Ceyhan (Eds.), Ayrımcılık: Çok boyutlu yaklaşımlar (pp. 163-74). İstanbul: İstanbul Bilgi Üniversitesi Yayınları.
European Union Lifelong Learning Programme Grundtvig Programme. (2012). Pre-retirement counselling: A shorthcut to active ageing. Retrieved from http://www.en3karriere.dk/wp-content/uploads/2013/03/Pre-retirement-counselling.-A-shotcut-to-active-ageing-1.pdf
Fontoura, D. D. S., Doll, J., & Oliveira, S. N. D. (2015). The challenge of retiring in the contemporary world. Educação & Realidade, 40(1), 53-79.
Günay, G. (2013). Turkish reliability and validity study of the process of retirement planning scale: The example of Karabuk University. Turkish Journal of Geriatrics, 16(1), 84-94.
Günay, G., & Bener, Ö. (2008). Status of individuals' planning to prepare for retirement in Turkey. Educational Gerontology, 34(2), 148-161.
Ibrahim, D. K. A., & Wahat, N. W. A. (2015). A new pathway towards retirement preparation: Integration of holistic life planning. European Journal of Social Science Education and Research, 2(4), 154-160.
İpek, C. (2017). Adaptation problem in retirement life and retirement education. Ahi Evran Üniversitesi Sosyal Bilimler Enstitüsü Dergisi, 3(1), 60-72.
Kaya, T. N., & Örsal, Ö. (2018). A social problem: Elderly discrimination. Social Sciences Studies Journal, 4(16), 1350-1355.
Kim, J. E., & Moen, P. (2001). Moving into retirement: Preparation and transitions in late midlife. In M. E. Lachman (Ed.), Handbook of midlife development (pp. 498–527). New York, NY: Wiley.
Lytle, M. C., Foley, P. F., & Cotter, E. W. (2015). Career and Retirement Theories: Relevance for Older Workers Across Cultures. Journal of Career Development, 42(3), 185–198.
Muratore, A. M., & Earl, J. K. (2015). Retirement planning and adjustment. In N. A. Pachana (Ed.), Encyclopedia of geropsychology. Singapore: Springer, Springer Nature.
Nelson, T. D. (2005). Ageism: Prejudice against our feared future self. Journal of social issues, 61(2), 207-221.
Noone, J. H., Stephens, C., & Alpass, F. M. (2009). Preretirement planning and well-being in later life: A prospective study. Research on Aging, 31(3), 295-317.
Noone, J. H., Stephens, C., & Alpass, F. (2010). The process of Retirement Planning Scale (PRePS): Development and validation. Psychological Assessment, 22(3), 520.
Onyx, J., & Baker, E. (2006). Retirement expectations: Gender differences and partner effects in an Australian employer-funded sample. Australasian Journal on Ageing, 25(2), 80-83.
Pinquart, M., & Schindler, I. (2007). Changes of life satisfaction in the transition to retirement: a latent-class approach. Psychology and aging, 22(3), 442.
Reitzes, D. C., & Mutran, E. J. (2004). The transition to retirement: Stages and factors that influence retirement adjustment. The International Journal of Aging and Human Development, 59(1), 63-84.
Tam, M. (2014). Understanding and theorizing the role of culture in the conceptualizations of successful aging and lifelong learning. Educational Gerontology, 40(12), 881-893.
Tam, M. (2017). Towards a cross-cultural understanding of ageing and learning by senior adults in Hong Kong and Australia. International Journal of Lifelong Education, 36(5), 565-577.
Thorsen, S., Rugulies, R., Løngaard, K., Borg, V., Thielen, K., & Bjorner, J. B. (2012). The association between psychosocial work environment, attitudes towards older workers (ageism) and planned retirement. International archives of occupational and environmental health, 85(4), 437-445.
Topa, G., Moriano, J. A., Depolo, M., Alcover, C. M., & Morales, J. F. (2009). Antecedents and consequences of retirement planning and decision-making: A meta-analysis and model. Journal of Vocational Behavior, 75(1), 38-55.
Wang, M. (2013). Retirement: An introduction and overview of the handbook. In M. Wang (Ed.), The Oxford Handbook of Retirement (pp. 3-21). New York, NY: Oxford University Press.
Wilińska, M. (2013). Welfare spaces of (non) ageing-A discourse perspective. Studia Humanistyczne AGH (od 2012), 12(1), 25-39.
Vefikuluçay Yılmaz, D., & Terzioglu, F. (2011). Development and psychometric evaluation of ageism attitude scale among the university students. Turkish Journal of Geriatrics, 14(3), 259-268.