Endings and Continuity of Social Relationships: Maximizing Intrinsic Benefits within Personal Networks when Feeling Near to Death

Changes within an individual's personal network may reflect either non-deliberate endings, such as loss, or active choice of social partners. This research explores to what extent perceptions of limited future time are associated with deliberate endings of social relationships and active maximization of intrinsic benefits in one's personal network. In a longitudinal follow-up study, the personal networks of 206 older adults aged between 70 and 103 years were assessed twice within a 4-year time interval. Change of personal networks and change within social relationships were explored in association with age cohort, subjective health, cognitive functioning, neuroticism, extraversion, and subjective nearness to death. Most changes within personal networks occurred in less close relationships, while close emotional relationships proved stable. More than half of discontinued relationships were ended for deliberate reasons. Within ongoing social relationships, emotional closeness after 4 years was improved when social partners were family members and emotional supporters (e.g. confidants). When older adults felt near to death, emotional closeness with others decreased, except within relationships with family members and with social companions. The findings suggest that individuals actively shape the compositions of their personal networks in order to maximize the availability of intrinsic and extrinsic benefits from others.

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