THE EFFECT OF REMINISCENCE ON PSYCHOLOGICAL MEASURES OF EGO INTEGRITY IN ELDERLY NURSING HOME RESIDENTS.
Contributors: University of Texas at Austin.
Published: 1988
Number of pages: 183
Subjects: Health Sciences, Nursing.
Description: The purpose of this study was to investigate the efficacy of a reminiscence group to increase ego integrity in elderly nursing home residents. Erikson's developmental theory and Butler's theory of reminiscing provided the theoretical framework for the study. The theory postulates that reminiscing increases ego integrity in the elderly. Variables which were used to measure ego integrity were life satisfaction, depression and self esteem. Three hypotheses were developed for the study.

The study was experimental using a pretest-posttest two-control group design with random assignment to treatment groups. The sample consisted of 54 nursing home residents who were 65 years of age or older. Subjects were randomly assigned to a reminiscing group, a current events control group, or a no-treatment control group.

Pretest and posttest measures of the dependent variables were obtained. Life satisfaction was measured by the Life Satisfaction Index A; depression was measured by the Geriatric Depression Scale; and self esteem was measured by the Rosenberg Self Esteem Scale.

Data were analyzed using analysis of variance. The hypotheses were not supported. No statistically significant relationship was found between life satisfaction and reminiscing, depression and reminiscing, or self esteem and reminiscing.

Recommendations were given for further research. Recommendations include using a larger sample size, increasing the intensity of the intervention, using different outcome variables and using different measures of these variables from those that were used in this study.
Notes: Source: Dissertation Abstracts International, Volume: 49-12, Section: B, page: 5226.

Thesis (PH.D.)--THE UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS AT AUSTIN, 1988.

School code: 0227.