The Transition to Retirement: Stages and Factors That Influence Retirement Adjustment

A set of older workers from the Raleigh-Durham-Chapel Hill, North Carolina metropolitan area were followed from pre-retirement to 24 months post-retirement in order to explore stages in retirement and the impact of social psychological, social background, and gender factors on the retirement adjustm...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:International journal of aging & human development 2004-01, Vol.59 (1), p.63-84
Main Authors: Reitzes, Donald C., Mutran, Elizabeth J.
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Adaptation, Psychological
Adjustment
Adult. Elderly
Attitudes
Biological and medical sciences
Developmental psychology
Elderly
Female
Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology
Health behavior
Health Status
Humans
Identity
Income
Life Change Events
Life Stage Transitions
Life transitions
Male
Middle Aged
North Carolina
Psychology. Psychoanalysis. Psychiatry
Psychology. Psychophysiology
Retirement
Retirement - psychology
Self Concept
Self Esteem
Sex Factors
Social background
Social psychology
Time Factors
Transition
USA
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Summary:A set of older workers from the Raleigh-Durham-Chapel Hill, North Carolina metropolitan area were followed from pre-retirement to 24 months post-retirement in order to explore stages in retirement and the impact of social psychological, social background, and gender factors on the retirement adjustment. First, we found general support for Atchley's model of retirement adjustment (1976). Second, the factors that influence retirement adjustment in the data analysis revealed that: 1) pre-retirement self-esteem and friend identity meanings, as well as pension eligibility, increased positive attitudes toward retirement at six months, 12 months, and 24 months post-retirement; 2) retirement planning and voluntary retirement increased positive attitudes toward retirement earlier, but not later, in the first two years of retirement; 3) poor health decreased positive attitudes toward retirement later rather than earlier in the first two years of retirement; and 4) there were only limited gender effects.
ISSN:0091-4150
1541-3535
DOI:10.2190/NYPP-RFFP-5RFK-8EB8