On the Role of Personality in Successful Aging: A Scoping Review.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: This study aimed to critically examine current knowledge on the role of personality in successful aging, considering Hooker and McAdams' 3-level, 6-foci model of personality. The aim was also to pinpoint knowledge gaps that research should address in the future. RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS: We carried out a scoping review of the literature on successful aging and personality, following the 5-step framework proposed by Arksey and O'Malley and further expanded by Levac et al. RESULTS: Research into the role of personality in successful aging has grown significantly over the last 20 years. However, the increasing number of publications on the topic was primarily accounted for by studies focused on Layer 1 and particularly Layer 2 of McAdams' model of personality, with Layer 3 being scarcely addressed. Research that included more than 1 layer of personality was rare. DISCUSSION AND IMPLICATIONS: Our study pinpointed gaps that should be considered in future research in this area. These gaps were related to advancing toward agreed-upon definitions of successful aging and personality, broadening the scope of research on this topic, and integrating personality dimensions on research on successful aging.

Psychosocial Aspects of Participation in Competitive Sports Among Older Athletes: A Scoping Review.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: In the last decade, sport has been considered a tool in active aging to maintain physical fitness, improve mental well-being, and form social relationships among older people. However, a thorough psychosocial understanding of the phenomenon of older athletes competing in sports events is lacking. Most research has focused on competitive sports participation in the young population. This study analyzes the general state of knowledge of competitive sports participation among athletes aged 50 years and older from a psychosocial perspective. RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS: We followed the 5-step process outlined by Arksey and O'Malley. After the search in 4 electronic databases, 69 peer-reviewed articles met the inclusion criteria. RESULTS: The findings indicate that psychosocial research into older people's participation in competitive sports has grown moderately in the last decade. While intrapersonal and interpersonal aspects have dominated the academic psychosocial discourse on older athletes' competitive sports participation, aspects related to the environment/community and policy have largely been overlooked. DISCUSSION AND IMPLICATIONS: We identified several critical gaps in the literature, classified into conceptual (e.g., lesser attention to personality, emotional, and cognitive aspects), methodological (e.g., longitudinal studies almost absent), and diverse aspects (e.g., focus on a wide indiscriminate age range; few comparisons between types of sports; underrepresentation of some nation or world regions as well as few cross-national comparative studies). These research gaps hint at opportunities that future research on older people's participation in competitive sports should address.

La participación de los atletas veteranos en deportes competitivos: ¿El ideal de envejecimiento activo? / The participation of Master athletes in competitive sports: An ideal of active aging? / A participação de atletas veteranos em esportes competitivos: O ideal do envelhecimento ativo?

En los últimos años se ha asistido a un aumento de la participación en disciplinas deportivas competitivas durante la vejez. El objetivo de este artículo es reflexionar si los atletas veteranos mayores pueden considerarse un ideal de envejecimiento activo. Para ello, se exploran tanto los factores determinantes como el impacto de la práctica de deportes competitivos entre atletas mayores. Finalmente se ofrece una visión crítica que resalta la problematicidad de la entronización de este colectivo como ejemplo de "buen envejecer".

In the last few years, participation in competitive sports in later life has considerably increased. The purpose of this article is to reflect if older Master athletes can be considered an ideal model of active aging. In order to this, the determinants and impacts of the competitive sports participation for older athletes are explored. Finally, this article offers a critical view that highlights the problem of considering this group as an ideal example of "well aging".

Nos últimos anos, houve um aumento da participação em disciplinas esportivas competitivas durante a velhice. O objetivo deste artigo é refletir se atletas veteranos mais velhos podem ser considerados um ideal de envelhecimento ativo. Para isso, são explorados os fatores determinantes e o impacto de praticar esportes competitivos entre os atletas maisvelhos. Por fim, é oferecida uma visão crítica que destaca a natureza problemática da entronização desse grupo como um exemplo de "bom envelhecimento".