Psychological gerontology in Germany: recent findings and social implications

Abstract

This review paper has two major aims, first to synthesise recent research findings and conceptual developments in the field of psychological gerontology in Germany and in German language publications, and secondly, to argue that the field's research findings deserve greater attention, for both their substance and their relevance to social policy. The review focuses on three major fields of psychological gerontology: (1) cognitive development in old age; (2) personality development in old age; and (3) social relationships in old age. It highlights the major findings generated by German scholars since the 1990s. Although numerous and diverse, a common thread is the move away from a focus on the limitations and decrements of later life, and increased attention to the continuing capacities and developmental achievements of older people. The discussion elaborates the view that there is considerable merit in considering the broader social implications of these results. In conclusion, and from a general rather than disciplinary perspective, it is argued that there is a strong need for geropsychological research to be designed and interpreted with explicit attention to the cultural and social contexts in which the subjects live.