Experiment Choosing Among Residential Options : Results of a Vignette

Older people who experience declining health are often faced with difficult decisions about possible residential relocation. The research aim was to determine how five distinct dimensions—functional status, features of current housing, social networks, features of retirement communities, and financial considerations—affect decisions to relocate to a retirement community. A vignette experiment with a factorial design was conducted involving both older people and adult children who were concerned with an aging parent. Use of the Internet for administration of the experiment made it possible to deliver information to research participants through video clips. Research participants were influenced by each of the dimensions; however, functional status of the vignette persons had the greatest impact, and financial considerations the least. Adult children were more likely to recommend moves Articles at LMU Muenchen on September 30, 2014 roa.sagepub.com Downloaded from 4 Research on Aging 34(1) than were older people. The research is suggestive of the potential for use of vignette experiments for a fuller understanding of relocation decisions.

[1]  V. Stenning,et al.  On the role of an environment , 1987, ICSE '87.

[2]  J W Peabody,et al.  Comparison of vignettes, standardized patients, and chart abstraction: a prospective validation study of 3 methods for measuring quality. , 2000, JAMA.

[3]  J. Wiles.  Conceptualizing place in the care of older people: the contributions of geographical gerontology. , 2005, Journal of clinical nursing.

[4]  Annamaria Lusardi,et al.  Financial Literacy and Retirement Preparedness: Evidence and Implications for Financial Education , 2007 .

[5]  M P Lawton,et al.  Residential environment and self-directedness among older people. , 1990, The American psychologist.

[6]  Peter Zweifel,et al.  Validity of discrete-choice experiments evidence for health risk reduction , 2007 .

[7]  D. Hensher,et al.  Stated Choice Methods: Analysis and Applications , 2000 .

[8]  J. Muñoz,et al.  Using vignettes to compare the quality of clinical care variation in economically divergent countries. , 2004, Health services research.

[9]  S. Golant.  Conceptualizing time and behavior in environmental gerontology: a pair of old issues deserving new thought. , 2003, The Gerontologist.

[10]  E. Wethington,et al.  Residential choices and experiences of older adults : pathways to life quality , 2003 .

[11]  F. Caro,et al.  Residential Adjustment of Elders: Learning from Experiences With Parents and Peers , 2009 .

[12]  B. Orme.  Getting Started with Conjoint Analysis: Strategies for Product Design and Pricing Research , 2005 .

[13]  Judith C Hays,et al.  Living arrangements and health status in later life: a review of recent literature. , 2002, Public health nursing.

[14]  J. Finch,et al.  Divorce, Remarriage and Family Obligations , 1990 .

[15]  G. Leeson.  My Home Is My Castle-Housing in Old Age , 2006 .

[16]  Taizan Chan,et al.  Using the Internet to Administer More Realistic Vignette Experiments , 2012 .

[17]  Robert Cameron Mitchell,et al.  Using Surveys to Value Public Goods: The Contingent Valuation Method , 1989 .

[18]  Brian J. Taylor,et al.  Factorial Surveys: Using Vignettes to Study Professional Judgement , 2005 .

[19]  J. Mckinlay,et al.  Patient characteristics and inequalities in doctors' diagnostic and management strategies relating to CHD: a video-simulation experiment. , 2006, Social science & medicine.

[20]  D. Hensher.  Stated preference analysis of travel choices: the state of practice , 1994 .

[21]  Stefanie Eifler,et al.  Evaluating the Validity of Self-Reported Deviant Behavior Using Vignette Analyses , 2007 .