Death Anxiety is Associated With Less Health Behavior for Individuals Low in Action Orientation.

Research has shown that death anxiety relates to less health behavior. The present study proposes that action orientation moderates this association. That is, it is hypothesized that death anxiety and health behavior relate negatively only in individuals low in action orientation. German adults (N = 187; aged 19-86) provided self-reports on health behavior, action orientation, death anxiety, social desirability, and sociodemographics. Analyses yielded a significant moderation effect of action orientation on the link between death anxiety and health behavior over and above significant relationships of action orientation, social desirability, age, and gender, respectively, with health behavior. As hypothesized, a significantly negative association of death anxiety and health behavior was found only given low action orientation but not among high action orientation individuals. This suggests that self-regulation plays a decisive role in whether death anxiety and health behavior relate to each other.

The indirect effect of generativity on fear of death through ego-integrity holds when controlling for spirituality.

In previous research on the indirect effect of generativity on fear of death through ego-integrity, intrinsic religiosity was controlled for. This paper tests the same indirect effect, but controls for spirituality instead of religiosity. German adults (N = 154) were administered self-report questionnaires on generativity, ego-integrity, fear of death, spirituality, and physical health. Spirituality correlated negatively with fear of death. A mediation analysis yielded the hypothesized indirect effect without spirituality significantly predicting fear of death. The present results indicate that the indirect effect of generativity on fear of death through ego-integrity holds when spirituality is considered beyond the religious domain.

Cross-Cultural Examination of University Education and Ego Integrity in Late Adulthood: Implications for Policy and Practice.

Studies on education generally find that higher education has a positive impact on various aspects of life. Nevertheless, studies focused on elderly people and their psychosocial health and development seldom view higher education as an important factor. Our aim was to explore the relation between higher education and ego integrity, a measure based on Erikson's concept of psychological maturity in later life. We used four national samples of non-institutionalized elderly people from Cameroon (N = 238), China (N = 254), Czech Republic (N = 167), and Germany (N = 240). Relationships between ego integrity and several possible moderator variables were tested by multivariate regressions in each sample. Between-subject ANOVA was employed to test differences in ego integrity between university educated and non-university educated people. We found that ego integrity is affected by culture in interaction with gender and the level of education attained. University-educated people reported higher ego integrity than persons with lower education in three of four cultural samples, which suggests a relatively stable relationship between university education and ego integrity when controlling for gender, age, and working status. These findings highlight the importance of education in late adulthood. In terms of policies and practice, they underscore the importance of reduction of educational inequalities as well as desirability of improved access to higher education, expansion of opportunities for the achievement of complete education in later life, and facilitation and support of lifelong learning.

Evidence of an Indirect Effect of Generativity on Fear of Death Through Ego-Integrity Considering Social Desirability.

Recent research has shown an indirect effect of generativity on fear of death through ego-integrity in older adults. The present paper aims at demonstrating that the indirect effect is valid even when controlling for social desirability. For that purpose, participants (N = 260 German adults) in study 1 provided self-reports on generativity, ego-integrity, fear of death, and social desirability. Analyses confirmed the indirect effect when the tendency for socially desirable responding was statistically controlled. In study 2, participants (N = 133 German adults) also reported on their generativity and ego-integrity. Fear of death, however, was assessed with a reaction time-based measure (i.e., the Implicit Associations Test). Again, the indirect effect could be confirmed. Taken together, the studies lend further credibility to the extant findings on the indirect effect of generativity on fear of death through ego-integrity.

Reminiscing to teach others and prepare for death is associated with meaning in life through generative behavior in elderlies from four cultures.

Objectives: Reminiscence is considered an important aspect of successful ageing. Prominent reminiscence functions in old age are to pass on important experiences (Teach/Inform) and to prepare for death (Death Preparation). These reminiscence functions were hypothesized to be associated with generative behavior which in turn was hypothesized to be associated with meaning in life. Thus, we tested an indirect effect of reminiscence functions on meaning in life mediated by generative behavior.Method: Elderly participants provided information on reminiscence functions, generative behavior, and meaning in life. Participants were recruited in Cameroon, China (Hong Kong), the Czech Republic, and Germany, to test the generalizability of findings.Results: The assumed indirect effect was identified: Reminiscence functions were associated with meaning in life via generative behavior. This pattern was found for all cultural samples.Conclusion: Albeit results have to be interpreted with caution as they are based on cross-sectional data, findings suggest that these reminiscence functions motivate generative behavior and thus indirectly affect meaning in life in elderlies from all four cultural contexts. In future studies, this effect needs to be replicated with a broader age range and a more fine-grained measure of generative behavior to account for potential differences in culturally appropriate generative outlets.

The Higher Your Implicit Affiliation-Intimacy Motive, the More Loneliness Can Turn You Into a Social Cynic: A Cross-Cultural Study.

Research has shown that the strength of the implicit affiliation-intimacy motive moderates the effects of satisfaction and frustration of the need for affiliation-intimacy: Low relatedness was more closely related to envy for people high in the implicit affiliation-intimacy motive. The present study tests a moderating effect of the strength of the implicit affiliation-intimacy motive on the association between low relatedness and social cynicism in samples of elderly people from Germany, the Czech Republic, and Cameroon. A total of 616 participants provided information on their implicit affiliation-intimacy motive, relatedness, and social cynicism. As hypothesized, a moderation effect of the strength of the implicit affiliation-intimacy motive was found that held true regardless of participants' culture of origin: For people high in the implicit affiliation-intimacy motive, a lack of relatedness was associated with higher levels of social cynicism. Our findings complement other theories stating that positive relationships with others are a significant part of successful aging.

Relationship Between Subjectively Evaluated Health and Fear of Death Among Elderly in Three Cultural Contexts.

It is often argued that declining health in elderly people makes death more salient and threatening. However, we argue that health, optimism, and social support interact to predict fear of death in samples from Cameroon, the Czech Republic, and Germany. Low health was associated with enhanced fear of death for participants who received only little social support. As the measure of optimism did not comply with psychometric requirements in the Cameroonian sample, the three-way interaction was tested only in the Czech and German samples. It was found that the two-way interaction was further qualified by optimism in that low health was associated with enhanced fear of death for participants with little social support unless they reported pronounced optimism. Thus, internal and external resources, respectively, can serve to buffer the effect of declining health on the fear of death in the elderly.

The effect of motive-trait interaction on satisfaction of the implicit need for affiliation among German and Cameroonian adults.

Research provided evidence that personality traits influence the realization of implicit motives: Extraversion supported the successful realization of the implicit motives for affiliation and power, whereas introversion deflected implicit motives away from significant goals and created difficulties in goal attainment. Based on those findings on motive-trait interaction, we tested whether the traits of Neuroticism, Agreeableness, and Extraversion affect the satisfaction of the implicit affiliation motive (i.e., the need for establishing and maintaining close relationships with other people) approximately 18 months later. Data on personality traits, the implicit affiliation motive, and need satisfaction were assessed from 244 Cameroonian and German adults. As expected, across cultural groups, Neuroticism constrains but Agreeableness supports the realization of the implicit affiliation motive. No significant results could be found for Extraversion, even if the effect was in the assumed direction. The findings support the argument that different significant personality components ought to be taken into account in research on implicit motives and their psychological and behavioral correlates.

The Association Between Parental Generativity and Parent-Child Attitude-Similarity Through Parent- and Child-Reported Authoritative Parenting: A Replication.

Generativity is the desire to pass something on to the coming generations. Through parents' and children's reports on authoritative parenting, parents' generativity is associated with how similar young adults think their attitudes are to those of their parent (Peterson et al., 1997; https://doi.org/10.1037/0022-3514.72.5.1202). The present study represents a direct replication of these results. Altogether, a sample of 365 German parent-child dyads participated in the study (parents' age: M = 52.87, SD = 4.89; children's age: M = 20.81, SD = 2.26). Parents provided information on their generativity (Loyola Generativity Scale) and parenting styles (Parental Authority Questionnaire). Their child provided information on perceived parenting styles (Parental Authority Questionnaire) and attitudinal similarity to the parent (Psychological Separation Inventory). A serial mediation was found for authoritative parenting. It was not found, however, for authoritarian and permissive parenting. This pattern replicates Peterson et al.'s (1997) results. Potential questions for future research on how generative adults transmit their values and attitudes are discussed.

Successful Goal Attainment: Longitudinal Effects of Goal Commitment and Implicit Motives Among German and Zambian Adolescents.

Goal commitment typically relates to successful goal realization. Yet, individuals differ in how much their goals correspond to their implicit motives. We hypothesized that for those adolescents high in a given implicit motive, goal commitment and goal success in the corresponding motive domain (i.e., achievement, affiliation, power) are more closely related than for those low in the implicit motive. Data were assessed in an individualistic (Germany) and a collectivistic cultural context (Zambia) on two measurement occasions (i.e., T1: Picture Story Exercise for implicit motives; T1 and T2: GOALS questionnaire for goal commitment and success, respectively). Goal success at T2 was reliably predicted by goal importance and goal success at T1, respectively. The hypothesized interaction was found only for the implicit power motive but not for the implicit needs of achievement and affiliation, respectively. Results were equivalent across adolescents' cultural backgrounds. Findings are discussed with respect to motive-specific effects on goal dimensions.

Identity, prosocial behavior, and generative concern in German and Cameroonian Nso adolescents.

Little is known about whether ego identity statuses have the same developmental concomitants in different cultural contexts. Thus, 159 German and 158 Cameroonian Nso adolescents aged 15-18 were recruited to test if associations between identity and generativity (i.e. the desire to create a positive legacy) and prosocial behavior (i.e. helpful and supportive behavior), respectively, are comparable. In both cultural samples, only identity achievement was positively linked with generative concern and prosocial tendencies. Integrating these and previous findings on the association between prosocial behavior and generativity, a partial mediation of the relation between identity achievement and generative concern through prosocial tendencies was hypothesized and confirmed for both cultural groups. Thus, there is an equivalent association between identity achievement, prosocial behavior, and generative concern in adolescents with widely different cultural background.

"Evidence for a robust, estradiol-associated sex difference in narrative-writing fluency": Correction.

Reports an error in "Evidence for a robust, estradiol-associated sex difference in narrative-writing fluency" by Oliver C. Schultheiss, Martin G. Köllner, Holger Busch and Jan Hofer (Neuropsychology, 2021[Mar], Vol 35[3], 323-333). In the original article, there was an error in Table 1. The df for "18-50 years (adult men and premenopausal women)," originally read "1, 17," but should have read "1, 71." The online version of this article has been corrected. (The following abstract of the original article appeared in record 2020-71595-001). Objective: Despite evidence for an estradiol-linked sex difference in verbal fluency favoring women, recent reviews question this difference. We therefore examined the issue based on a narrative task that we have administered to different populations for over 20 years. Method: We meta-analyzed 98 studies (N = 11,528) conducted by our laboratories and that featured measures of biological sex and storytelling. We ran primary-data analyses (N = 797) on an overlapping subset of these studies that also included salivary hormone and digit ratio measures. Results: Women told longer stories than men, d = 0.31, 95% CI [0.24, 0.38], an effect that did not vary by geographic region but was moderated by cue type (verbal: d = 0.57, [0.44, 0.71]; pictures: d = 0.29, [0.22, 0.36]), response modality (oral: d = -0.04, [-0.18, 0.09]; handwriting: d = 0.39, [0.31, 0.47]; typing: d = 0.31, [0.21, 0.42]), and age (prepubertal children: d = 0.13, [-0.04, 0.30]; pubescents: d = 0.48, [0.23, 0.74]; premenopausal adults: d = 0.36, [0.29, 0.42]; postmenopausal adults: d = -0.09, [-0.35, 0.16]). Consistent with the age effect, estradiol, a sex-dimorphic hormone during the reproductive life stage, was a specific mediator of the sex difference in narrative-writing fluency. This mediation effect was moderated by prenatal hormone exposure, estimated via digit ratio. Conclusions: When verbal fluency is assessed through narrative writing, a robust female advantage becomes evident. It is associated with the reproductive life stage and variations in current estradiol concentrations, particularly in individuals prenatally exposed to relatively more estradiol than testosterone. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2021 APA, all rights reserved).

Evidence for a robust, estradiol-associated sex difference in narrative-writing fluency.

Objective: Despite evidence for an estradiol-linked sex difference in verbal fluency favoring women, recent reviews question this difference. We therefore examined the issue based on a narrative task that we have administered to different populations for over 20 years. Method: We meta-analyzed 98 studies (N = 11,528) conducted by our laboratories and that featured measures of biological sex and storytelling. We ran primary-data analyses (N = 797) on an overlapping subset of these studies that also included salivary hormone and digit ratio measures. Results: Women told longer stories than men, d = 0.31, 95% CI [0.24, 0.38], an effect that did not vary by geographic region but was moderated by cue type (verbal: d = 0.57, [0.44, 0.71]; pictures: d = 0.29, [0.22, 0.36]), response modality (oral: d = -0.04, [-0.18, 0.09]; handwriting: d = 0.39, [0.31, 0.47]; typing: d = 0.31, [0.21, 0.42]), and age (prepubertal children: d = 0.13, [-0.04, 0.30]; pubescents: d = 0.48, [0.23, 0.74]; premenopausal adults: d = 0.36, [0.29, 0.42]; postmenopausal adults: d = -0.09, [-0.35, 0.16]). Consistent with the age effect, estradiol, a sex-dimorphic hormone during the reproductive life stage, was a specific mediator of the sex difference in narrative-writing fluency. This mediation effect was moderated by prenatal hormone exposure, estimated via digit ratio. Conclusions: When verbal fluency is assessed through narrative writing, a robust female advantage becomes evident. It is associated with the reproductive life stage and variations in current estradiol concentrations, particularly in individuals prenatally exposed to relatively more estradiol than testosterone. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2021 APA, all rights reserved).

Is self-determined functioning a universal prerequisite for motive-goal congruence? Examining the domain of achievement in three cultures.

Research has shown that capacity for accessing implicit motives promotes congruence between the implicit and the explicit motivational system: Individuals able to test a conscious goal for its fit with their implicit motivation commit themselves more fully to self-congruent goals. However, it has not yet been shown whether this is a universal phenomenon or limited to Euro-American cultures in which individual needs are less strictly constrained by the social environment than in other cultural contexts. Thus, the present study examined whether self-determination interacts with the implicit achievement motive to predict how much importance individuals from Cameroon, Germany, and Hong Kong ascribe to achievement goals. Moreover, the importance ascribed to goals should indirectly predict life satisfaction via success in goal realization. Results showed that the associations described above are valid in all three cultural groups and are discussed in terms of their implications for the universal processes characterizing motivation.

Desires and intentions for fatherhood: A comparison of childless gay and heterosexual men in Germany.

The present study explores the motivation for fatherhood in a sample of childless German gay and heterosexual men aged 18 to 40 years (N = 628 + 638). Referring to the theory of planned behavior (TPB), three potential predictors were considered: the individual's attitude toward having children, perceived attitudes of significant others toward fatherhood, and anticipated parental self-efficacy. Regarding fathering motivation, the general desire to become a father was differentiated from the more concrete fathering intention. Level- and structure-oriented analyses were combined in an innovative way. Consistent with previous research, gay participants reported weaker fathering desires and intentions than their heterosexual counterparts; however, there was no wider desire-intention gap among gay than among heterosexual participants (level-oriented analysis). As expected, associations between TPB predictors and fathering motivation were independent of sexual orientation (structure-oriented analysis). Participants' appreciation of children and their self-attribution of parental self-efficacy were strongly associated with fathering intentions; these associations were substantially mediated by fathering desires. However, the association between significant others' attitudes toward fatherhood and participants' fathering motivation was comparably weak. Demographics were controlled for in each analysis. Results are discussed from both an individual and a societal perspective. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2018 APA, all rights reserved).

Generativity affects fear of death through ego integrity in German, Czech, and Cameroonian older adults.

This cross-cultural study examined a potential direct effect of generativity and indirect effect through ego integrity on fear of death. In sum, 617 adults aged 60-86 from Germany, the Czech Republic, and Cameroon provided self-report information on their generative concern, ego integrity, and fear of death. Whereas it had no direct effect, generativity had an indirect effect on fear of death: It was associated with increased ego integrity which, in turn, was associated with reduced fear of death. This pattern was verified for the three cultural groups via structural equation modeling. Results suggest that generativity is not sufficient in coming to terms with one's mortality. Instead, generativity contributes to ego integrity which then helps to face death relatively unafraid.

Generativity does not necessarily satisfy all your needs: Associations among cultural demand for generativity, generative concern, generative action, and need satisfaction in the elderly in four cultures.

The present study examines the association between various facets of generativity, that is, cultural demand for generativity, generative concern, and generative action, with the satisfaction of the needs for relatedness, competence, and autonomy in samples of elderly from Cameroon, China (Hong Kong), the Czech Republic, and Germany. Participants provided information on self-transcendence values (internalized cultural demand), generative concern and action, and need satisfaction. Results suggest, first, that internalized cultural demand affects generative action indirectly through generative concern, second, that generative concern has a positive direct effect on need satisfaction, but that, third, there is also an indirect effect of generative concern on need satisfaction through generative action, which, fourth, is positive for the needs for relatedness and competence but negative for the need for autonomy. These findings were culture-invariant in our study, suggesting generalizability to other cultures. They are discussed with respect to the role of values in generativity and a possible trade-off of generative action for the satisfaction of needs at least in the elderly.

For the benefit of others: generativity and meaning in life in the elderly in four cultures.

Generativity has been argued to be an important indicator of successful aging. Indeed, generative concern has been found to be associated with meaning in life. In the present study, this relationship is argued to be partly explained through generative goals. Moreover, the path between generative goals and meaning in life is hypothesized to be conditional on belief in the species (assessed through Machiavellianism as a proxy variable). This moderated mediation model is tested with data from 4 cultural samples: 856 Cameroonian, Czech, German, and Hong Kong Chinese participants aged at least 60 years provided information on their generative concern, generative goals, meaning in life, and Machiavellianism. Controlling for effects of relationship, level of education, everyday competence, and cognitive functioning on meaning in life, analyses confirmed the moderated mediation model in all cultural samples. That is, generative concern is partly associated with meaning in life because it leads to generative goals. In turn, these provide individuals with meaning in life. This association, however, depends on belief in the species in that meaning in life does not increase when Machiavellian attitudes compete with generative goals.

Self-regulation and milestones of adult development: intimacy and generativity.

In 2 separate studies, the idea is tested that the positive association between self-regulatory capacities and well-being is partly explained by the positive effect self-regulation has on the successful resolution of developmental crises in Eriksonian terms. In Study 1, attentional control, intimacy, and subjective well-being are assessed in 177 young adults. Results show that attentional control fosters intimacy, which in turn is beneficial to subjective well-being. Study 2 has a longitudinal design: Action control, generativity, purpose in life, and Machiavellianism are measured in 163 adults with an interval of 18 months between the 2 testing occasions. Action control is found to promote the development of generative concern, which in turn increases purpose in life. The latter association, however, is further qualified by Machiavellian attitudes. Results are discussed with respect to the role of self-regulation in development and to belief in the species, which Erikson postulated to be active in the development of generativity.

Satisfying one's needs for competence and relatedness: consequent domain-specific well-being depends on strength of implicit motives.

Considering the effect of implicit motives, the current study examined the link between well-being in important life domains, that is, job and relationship, and the satisfaction of needs as proposed by self-determination theory. Data on domain-specific well-being, satisfaction of needs for competence and relatedness, and the implicit achievement and affiliation motives were assessed from 259 German and Cameroonian participants. The achievement motive moderated the relation between competence and job satisfaction. Furthermore, the affiliation motive moderated the association between relatedness and relationship satisfaction. Satisfaction of the needs for competence and relatedness is linked to higher levels of job and relationship satisfaction, respectively, among individuals with strong implicit motives. Effects were found regardless of participants' culture of origin. Findings indicate that implicit motives can be understood as weighting dispositions that affect how far experiences of competence and relatedness are linked with satisfaction in relevant life domains.