[Life satisfaction and emotional regulation in aging: temporal perspective and effect of gender].

Abstract

Few studies have examined the relationship between life satisfaction, emotional regulation and perception of future time in the elderly. Thirty-one women and 28 men (age M = 70,51 ± 3,98) were questioned using the Gross and John's Emotion Regulation Questionnaire (2003), the Blais et al.'s Life Satisfaction Scale (1989) and the Castersen and Lang's Future Time Perception Scale (1996). The results show that there is no gender effect, and do not support the motivational theory of Carstensen, Isaacowitch and Charles (1999), which postulates a link between temporal perspective and the selection of the most efficient emotional regulation strategies. This research shows that it is the use of compensatory strategies that enables people to continue to be satisfied with their lives despite advancing age. Nor do these strategies influence the effect of gender or perception of future time on life satisfaction. Against a backdrop of an aging population, this study is helping to better define the features of well-being in the advancing age.