Langer and Rodin Study
Core studies summary - Langer & Rodin (1976)
Aims and context (Put aims of study & background history):
Aim: To see whether being given greater personal choice & personal responsibility had a positive effect on older people living in a residential home. To see also if being given greater choice in a care home would affect their alertness & activity. Langer & Rodin aimed to investigate the effects of enhanced personal responsibility and choice in a group of nursing home patients. Specifically if increased control has generalised beneficial effects, which in turn affect physical and mental alertness, activity, sociability and general satisfaction.
Bettleheim’s (1943) description of the ‘Muselmanner’, the walking corpses in the concentration camps notes that many of these prisoners “came to believe the repeated statements of the guards – that there was no hope for them, that they would never leave the camp except as a corpse ... [survival] depended on the ability to arrange to preserve some areas of independent action, to keep control of some important aspects of one’s life despite an environment that seemed overwhelming and total”.
The change from adulthood to old age is often seen as a process of loss, physiologically people change and psychologically. Gould (1972). We don’t know how much of this is due to biology and how much is due to the environment. The ability to keep a sense of personal control in our lives may be influenced a lot by social factors and this can affect physical well being.
Studies have shown that more successful ageing, measured by living longer amongst other things, occurs when a person feels a sense of usefulness and purpose. Butler (1967).
Choice is a crucial variable in bringing about a sense of control over our lives. Stotland & Blumenthal (1964) studied the effects of choice on reducing anxiety. They told p’s they were going to take a number of important ability tests. Half the p’s were told they could choose the order they
Aims and context (Put aims of study & background history):
Aim: To see whether being given greater personal choice & personal responsibility had a positive effect on older people living in a residential home. To see also if being given greater choice in a care home would affect their alertness & activity. Langer & Rodin aimed to investigate the effects of enhanced personal responsibility and choice in a group of nursing home patients. Specifically if increased control has generalised beneficial effects, which in turn affect physical and mental alertness, activity, sociability and general satisfaction.
Bettleheim’s (1943) description of the ‘Muselmanner’, the walking corpses in the concentration camps notes that many of these prisoners “came to believe the repeated statements of the guards – that there was no hope for them, that they would never leave the camp except as a corpse ... [survival] depended on the ability to arrange to preserve some areas of independent action, to keep control of some important aspects of one’s life despite an environment that seemed overwhelming and total”.
The change from adulthood to old age is often seen as a process of loss, physiologically people change and psychologically. Gould (1972). We don’t know how much of this is due to biology and how much is due to the environment. The ability to keep a sense of personal control in our lives may be influenced a lot by social factors and this can affect physical well being.
Studies have shown that more successful ageing, measured by living longer amongst other things, occurs when a person feels a sense of usefulness and purpose. Butler (1967).
Choice is a crucial variable in bringing about a sense of control over our lives. Stotland & Blumenthal (1964) studied the effects of choice on reducing anxiety. They told p’s they were going to take a number of important ability tests. Half the p’s were told they could choose the order they