Measuring Reminiscence Characteristics from Conversation as Adaptive Features of Old Age

A methodological study is reported into measuring reminiscing characteristics (including life reviewing) from spontaneous conversation, in elderly people living in sheltered housing in London. The reliability and stability of these measures were well demonstrated. Further statistical analyses were carried out to test the hypotheses e.g., that reminiscing is an adaptive feature of old age in the presence of severe life change, life reviewing in the presence of low past life satisfaction. No significant evidence was found for the role of simple reminiscence itself, but “life reviewing” appeared as an adaptive response when accompanied by dissatisfaction with past life. The relevance of these results to Butler's theory of the life review (1963) and to future studies of the concept is discussed, and also the possibility of using similar forms of content analyses of spontaneous conversation.