Table Of ContentTHERELATIONSHIPOFORGANIZEDEDUCATIONALCLASSESTAKENBY
OLDERADULTSTOERIKSON'SEIGHTHSTAGEOFLIFE:
EGOINTEGRITYVERSUSDESPAIR
By
JEANWHIPPLETHOMAS
ADISSERTATION PRESENTEDTOTHEGRADUATESCHOOL
OFTHEUNIVERSITYOFFLORIDAINPARTIALFULFILLMENT
OFTHEREQUIREMENTSFORTHEDEGREEOF
DOCTOROFPHILOSOPHY
UNIVERSITYOFFLORIDA
1993
ThisdissertationisdedicatedtothememoryofJordanJohnson,without
whoseloveandguidanceIwouldneverhavebegunthisprogram,norcarried
ittocompletion;andtomyfather,JohnE.Whipple,Sr.,andthememoryofmy
mother, NellieV. Whipple,whoseprideandcaringsustained mewhileIwas
earningthisdegree.
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
Completionofmydoctoraldissertationwouldnothavebeenpossible
withouttheassistanceandsupportofnumerouspeople. Special
appreciationgoestomyfamily:mygrandfather,HaroldPratt; mybrothers,
John,Jr.,Nelson,andGaryWhipple;andmysister,MarthaWhipple,whose
prideandsupporthavehelpedtosustainmethroughthisprogram.
AlthoughallmyprofessorsintheCollegeofEducationhavemade
importantcontributionstomyeducation,Ioweaspecialdebtof
appreciationtomycommitteemembers,whohaveguidedmealongthe
way. Mychair.Dr.JamesWattenbarger,wasalwaysencouragingandever
readytorelievethepressureofthisworkwithhisgraciouswisdomand
kind,gentledirection;Dr.JamesHenselwasthefirsttoacceptmeintothis
department,andprovidedpositivecriticismsandattentiontodetailwhich
werevaluabletothedissertationprocess;Dr.OttovonMeringhiredmeasa
teachingandresearchassistant,andhelpedmewhenthedeathofJordan
threatenedtofoundermyprogram;andDr.DavidHoneyman'spatienceand
guidanceinworkingwithmetochoosemytopicandtoshapemystudy
wereinvaluable.
iii
Averyspecialdebtofgratitudegoestotheolderstudents,and
teachersandadministratorsoftheCommunityEducationprogram. Without
theirhelpandparticipation,thisstudycouldnothavebeendone.
Iwouldliketothankthemanyotherpeoplewhoseconstant
encouragementandfriendshiphavebeensomeaningfulinhelpingmeto
completethisprogram. AdebtofgratitudegoestoRobbieandAlex
Cruickshanks,andtoallthepeopleoftheFirstPresbyterianChurchof
Alachua,whoofferedmeconstantandtangiblesupport,andwhoweremy
"dedicatedpitchforks"throughoutthisprocess. SpecialthanksgotoMarcia
Malanaphy,my"spiritualsister,"whohasbeenthereformealways,andto
MaggieStrykerwhoseeditorialskillsandsupportivefriendshiphavebeen
invaluable. Iwouldalsoliketoexpressmygratitudetofriendswhose
contributionsassistedmealongtheway:GeorgeKarelas,M.D.,Roger
Williams, M.D.,JaneWilliams, BettyWershow,AliceSnyder,TedRoehrs,
EmilyHoon,DorothyGagnier,andfellowdoctoralstudentsSandra
ChesboroughandConnieThurston. Tomymanyotherfriendswhohave
givensomuchtomeduringthistime, Iexpressmysinceregratitude.
iv
TABLEOFCONTENTS
pagg
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
iij
ABSTRACT
viii ^
CHAPTERS
1 INTRODUCTION 1
.1
ErikErikson'sEightStages 2
Purpose 3
Rationale 4
JustificationforStudy 7
LimitationsandDelimitations 7
DefinitionofTerms 8
OverviewofMethodology 9
StudyDesign 9
StudyPopulation 10
Instrumentation 10
Procedure 11
Summary 12
OverviewofChapters2through6 12
2 REVIEWOFTHELITERATURE 13
Introduction 13
DevelopmentalTheory 14
DevelopmentalTasks 16 ^
Erikson'sEightStagesExplained 17
LifeSatisfaction 23
EducationalNeedsofOlderAdults 24 i
LifelongLearning 26
LifeHistoryWriting 26
Summary 28
V
3 RESEARCHDESIGNANDMETHODOLOGY 29
Introduction 29
Purpose 29
QualitativeResearch 30
TheNaturalisticPerspective 31
ResearchDesign 32
MethodsandProcedures 33
Variables 33
SelectionofResearchSites 34
GainingEntrytoSites 34
Procedure 35
Sample 36
Instrumentation 37
Observation 38
Interviews 38
PhotographicInterview 39
Journals 41
AnalysisofData 41
ValidityandReliability 42
ExternalValidity 43
InternalValidity 43
Reliability 44
InvestigatorBias 44
EthicalIssues 45
ChapterSummary 45
4 THEPARTICIPANTS, SATISFIEDANDUNSATISFIED. 46
. .
Introduction 46
StudyPopulation 49
SelectingSelectingStudyParticipants 51
Instructors 52
OverviewofStudy 53
IntroducingStudyParticipants 54
Interviews 57
WCoormkmienngtLsivReeslaatneddRteotiErriekmseonnt'sAcTthiveiotriyes...... 6518
LifeSatisfaction 62
CommentsRelatedtoErikson'sStages... 68
Photographs 71
Journals 84
Summary 95
vi
5 STUDENTTHOUGHTANDREPRESENTATION 96
Introduction 96
Observations 99
CreativeWritingClass 100
LifeHistoryClass 105
OilPaintingClass 113
BridgeClass 120
Recapitulation 127
InterviewOuestionsRelatingtoClass 129
ReasonsforTakingClasses 129
Comments RelatedtoErikson'sTheory... 134
AdditionalQuestionsRelatedtoClasses 136
GeneralEffectsofCoursesonLife 136
EffectsofClassesonMeaninginLife. ... 138
Summary 141
6 CONCLUSIONS 143
ImplicationsofthisResearch 152
RecommendationsforFurtherResearch 153
APPENDICES
A REQUESTFORPERMISSIONTO DOSTUDY 155
B INVITATIONTOPARTICIPATE 156
C INFORMEDCONSENT 157
D PARTICIPANTS' LETTER 158
E INSTRUCTIONS FORPHOTOGRAPHS 160
F PHOTOGRAPHCONTENTS 161
G INSTRUCTIONS FORJOURNALS 162
H TRANSCRIPTOFCLASSES 163
I INTERVIEWQUESTIONS 203
REFERENCES 205
BIOGRAPHICALSKETCH 216
vii
AbstractofDissertationPresentedtotheGraduateSchool
oftheUniversityofFloridainPartialFulfillnnentofthe
RequirementsfortheDegreeofDoctorofPhilosophy
THERELATIONSHIPOFORGANIZEDEDUCATIONALCLASSESTAKENBY
OLDERADULTSTOERIKSON'S EIGHTHSTAGEOFLIFE:
EGOINTEGRITYVERSUSDESPAIR
By
JeanWhippleThomas
December, 1993
Chairperson:JamesW.Wattenbarger
MajorDepartment: EducationalLeadership
Thisstudywasundertakentoinvestigatetherelationshipof
communityeducationclassesofferedbycommunitycollegestothepositive
resolutionofErikErikson'seighthstageoflife. EgoIntegrityversusDespair.
Asecondarypurposewastoidentifytheimplicationsthisstagemayhave
forolderadulteducation. Theresearcherwasalsoseekingtodiscoverif
theseclassesoffereddifferentvaluestoolderadultswhowerethetop
scorers(Satisfied)ascomparedtothosewhowerelowscorers(Unsatisfied)
ontheLohmanLifeSatisfaction Scale(LLSS). Alsoaddressedwaswhether
ornotSatisfiedversusUnsatisfiedolderstudentsdemonstratedapropensity
touseorganizededucationalclassestoattributemeaningtotheirlives.
viii
Sixolderadultsbetweentheagesof60to69yearswerefollowed
throughonesemesterofconnmunityeducationclassesbymeansof
observationsduringclassperiods,photoelicitation,journalentries,anda
1-hourindividualstructuredinterview.
Itwasdeterminedthattheclassesofferedsupporttothoseolder
studentswhoseLLSSscoresindicatedthattheyweresatisfiedwiththeir
livesandofferedopportunitiestoimprovetheoutlookofthosewhowere
unsatisfied,therebycontributingtoamorepositiveresolutioninfavorofEgo
Integrityandofferinghelpincopingwith Despair.
Itwasconcludedthatthroughexploringtheirownlifehistories,
engagingincreativeactivities, interactinginapositivesupportive
environment,andseekingtointegratetheseexperiencesintoanewmeaning
fortheirlives,thesestudentsfoundthattheirclassescontributedtoa
positiveresolutioninfavorofEgoIntegrity,therebysupportingErikson's
theory,andemphasizingitsimportancetoteachersandstudentsinthefield
ofolderadulteducation.
ix
CHAPTER
INTRODUCTIION
Inthepastoldagehasbeenlookeduponasatimeoflosses,decline,
anddisengagement. "Anumberofforcescombinetomakeoldagea
relativelymeaninglessmarkingoftimebeforedeath,ratherthanavaluable
finalsegmentofthelifecycle" (Butler, 1975, p.402). However,manyolder
individualshavelookeduponthisperiodasatimeofleisureandasatimeto
followtheirownwishes.
Individualscanexpecttolive 10-30yearspasttheirstructuredwork
years, whileexperiencingimprovedhealthandfinancialsituations. The
questionofthemostappropriatewaytousetheseretirementyearsis
currentlybeingexplored. Someagingpersonscontinuetopursueold
hobbies,somedevelopnewleisurepursuits,andsomeseethisasatimeof
continuedgrowthanddevelopment. IfJung (1959)wasright,with
advancingagesometimeisspentincontemplationof,andpreparationfor,
death. RobertButler(1963) proposedthatolderindividualstendtoreflect
ontheirlivesasawayofdealingwithErikson'seighthstageof
psychologicaldevelopment, "EgoIntegrityversusDespair." Although
Erikson(1950)andJung(1959) postulatedthecrisesofawarenessofthe
nearnessofdeath,thisdevelopmentalcrisishasnotbeenemphasizedwithin
1
