CHAPTER I

The Problem and its Background

INTRODUCTION

The population size of the Philippines, based on the 1995 Census of

Population, was 68.6 million persons. Of this number, 5.4 percent or 3.7 million persons

were senior citizens or individuals aged 60 years and over, of which 1.7 million (46.6

percent) were males and 2.0 million (53.4 percent) were females. These figures translate

into a sex ratio of 87 males age 60 years and over for every 100 females in the same age

group. The predominance of females among senior citizens reflects the fact that women,

in general, live longer than men. By comparison, the males in the national population in

1995 comprised 50.4 percent, which implies a sex ratio of 101.6 males for every 100

females

Old age is a time of life feared by many. However, the anticipation appears to be

worse than the event itself. In a recent survey, for every three people who found life over

65 better than expected, only one found its worse.

It is not unusual to find people who are their eighties and nineties doing the same

thing as well as a decade or two younger, though perhaps a bit more slowly. Too often

the sick and institutionalized are seen as the norm of old age. While it is true the risk of

disease and disability increase with age, it is not necessarily incapacitating too many.

As we grow older and become senior citizens we tend to slow down our

productivity and explore life as a retired person. It is during this time that we contemplate

our accomplishments and are able to develop integrity if we see ourselves as leading a

1
successful life. If we see our life as unproductive, or feel that we did not accomplish our

life goals, we become dissatisfied with life and develop despair, often leading to

depression and hopelessness.

Growing older is not a puzzle, nor does it take a detective to figure out that it

happens to all of us. You can grow older happily; aging will not cause the fragrance of

life to pass you by. Theories proffered by most analysts are that within reason you are

perfectly capable of functioning as you like if you have a good sense and enough

information to allow you to be your own best guide.

Lualhati ng Maynila is a home for the aged who are picked up from streets and

are placed in a government-run home either because their families cannot be located or

refuse to take them in. Administered by the Department of Social Welfare of the Manila

City government, it is located within the 23-hectare Boys Town compound in Parang,

Marikina. It consist of about 300 elderly, usually ages 60’s and 80’s of aged. The

institution provides the elderly services such health care, basic need, food and clothing,

counseling, and spiritual guide. Given that institution is a government own. Financial aid

for elderly is not fully enough for all 300 them. The institution mostly received helped

from non-government organization such as schools, churches, hospitals, and companies

Our goal in conducting this research study is to learn the process of aging and

assist them looking forward to the process with a certain amount of pleasure. We think

seeing their self might be fun again if they don’t think of life as something which has

unfolded in a rearview mirror.

The researchers choose this topic because they wanted to be aware for carrying

elderly patients not just physically but also in the emotional level by understanding the

2
psychosocial crisis that they undergo is the key for applications of our responsibility as a

nurses. Social support is a major factor that affects their developmental stage being aware

of this social support would help us plan and implement our care.

THEORETICAL FRAMEWORK

Theories related to social support are both divergent and overlapping. The convoy

theory of social support describes three layers of support protection: the innermost layer

or most intimate and important social support providers, the second layer that includes

important, but less intimate, social support providers, and the outer layer that is close

only in respect to the function of an individual’s role, as in the case of a co-worker

(Siebert & Mutran, 1999).

Activity theory proposes that social activity and involvement with others results

in an increased ability to cope with aging, improved self-concept, and enhanced

emotional adjustment to the aging process (Lee, 1985). Activity theory presumes that

changes in social involvement are imposed by society. For example, mandated retirement

ages often isolate elders from work related social contacts. Additionally, fixed incomes

imposed by retirement often limit the ability to engage in certain social activities.

In contrast, disengagement theory assumes that social involvement decreases with

aging, and is a normal part of the aging process that is independent of other aging

phenomena (such as debility), and is mutually beneficial for both the individual and

society (Lee, 1985). Elders often disengage as a means of cushioning themselves from

the inevitable grief due to loss of peers from illness and death (Lee). Additionally, elder

3
disengagement makes room for younger individuals entering the work force or seeking

leadership positions.

STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM:

The study was conducted to find out the developmental stage in terms of integrity vs.

despair of elderly aged 60-85 years old and the correlation of level of satisfaction of their

social support in Lualhati ng Maynila, Parang Marikina. Specifically, the study will seek

answers to the following questions:

1. What is the level of satisfaction of elderly to their social support?

2. What is the psychosocial task Integrity vs. Despair of elderly?

3 Is there a relationship between Level of Social support and the psychosocial task of

elderly?

SIGNIFICANCE OF THE STUDY

This study will demonstrate the complete utilization of the researchers to interact

with elderly, to identify and react what is being observed on the social behaviors showed

by an elderly when interviewed and to

Elderly will be assisted in looking forward in this process with a certain amount

of pleasure by encouraging them to socialize instead of staying in one place and isolating

themselves.

Student nurses will be able to benefit from this study because they will be able to

understand the psychosocial crisis of the elderly. This research would guide in handling

geriatrics patients. Student nurses can use this study as references for their research.

4
 Clinical Instructors will give importance of this research not just for information

purposes but it will also serve as their reference for their teaching module to their

students.

Institution would benefit from this research in improving their care for their

clients. They will be able to understanding emotional state of the elderly and their social

issues. they can provide more activities that can improve the social function of the old

age.

Adults next developmental stage is old age, they are expected to prepare for this

stage. To help them acquire integrity and prevent state of despair that will give them

healthy social function when they arrived at that moment of life.

This is much relevant since aging cannot be avoided and everybody has to

experience it. This study is pertinent to the young adult for them to have a background

about elderly and also for the caregivers to have an extra knowledge on how to render

care depending on the specific need of their client. And also the researcher itself may

benefit on this study through knowing proper ways and action to render care for the

client in relation to their social function.

Although this study will be focusing more on the social function of elderly, the

end result can also be largely applied to all ages regardless of their condition.

SCOPE AND DELIMITATION

The main focus of the researcher was on identification of the specific dynamic of

elderly for particular cohort of the sample which looked also into their lifestyle, their

outlook in life; their compliance behavior in getting older the survey was able to come up

with 100 samples of respondents age 60-85 in Lualhati ng Maynila Parang Marikina.

5
 This study is not discussing in a most intensive manner; the contents are limited

in the sense that it deals only on the developmental stage in terms of psychosocial aspect

of their life. What is written here will satisfy the requirements of the research course of

course the subjects will directly mention the most important things that is helpful and

relevant to the life of elderly.

The delimitation of the study is not to include identification of the respondents to

protect privacy the data that will be collected in this study will only be use once in this

research only.

RESEARCH HYPOTHESIS:

The following hypotheses are formulated to give direction to the study:

1. Ha. There is significance between the level of satisfaction of elderly and the

psychosocial developmental stage: Integrity and despair.

DEFINITION OF TERMS:

Developmental Theory - The doctrine that animals and plants possess the

power of passing by slow and successive stages from a lower to a

higher state of organization, and that all the higher forms of life

now in existence were thus developed by uniform laws

from lower forms, and are not the result of special creative acts

Institution - An established organization or foundation, especially one dedicated

to education, public service, or culture

Integrity - Steadfast adherence to a strict moral or ethical code., The quality or

condition of being whole or undivided; completeness.

Despair - To be overcome by a sense of futility or defeat. Complete loss of hope.

6
Psychosocial - Involving aspects of social and psychological behavior:

Elderly - Being past middle age and approaching old age; rather old. Relating

to, or characteristic of older persons or life in later years.

Social Support- Is the physical and emotional comfort given to us by our family,

friends, co-workers and others. It is knowing that we are part of a community of people

who love and care for us, and value and think well of us. Social support is a way of

categorizing the rewards of communication in a particular circumstance.

7
 CHAPTER II

REVIEW OF RELATED STUDIES AND LITERATURE

The researchers compiled related literature that would provide general picture of

the topic. It includes facts, idea and views regarding the pertinent variables gleaned from

books, research journals, and scholarly publication perused by the researcher. The related

studies are derived from master’s thesis, dissertation and abstracts in reference sources.

RELATED LITERATURE

FOREIGN STUDIES

Definition of Social Support

Social support is usually defined as the existence or availability of people on

whom we can rely, people who let us know that they care about, value, and love us,

Bowlby’s theory of attachment(1969, 1973, 1980) relies heavily on this interpretation of

social support. When social support, in the form of an attachment figure, is available

early in life, Bowlby believes children become self-reliant, learn to function as support

for others, and have decreased likelihood of psychopathology in later life. Bowlby has

also concluded that the availability of social support bolsters the capacity to withstand

overcome frustrations and problem-solving challenges.

Atchley’s (2000) aforementioned definition of social support is a broad definition

of social support. Other academic theoretic definitions add that the recipient should have

a perception of someone caring for them and a resultant sense of well-being (Hupcey,

1998). Hupcey enumerated the factors required for social support as follows: (a) the act

of providing a resource, (b) the recipient having a sense of being cared for or a sense of

well-being, (c) the act having an implied positive outcome, (d) the existence of a

8
relationship between the provider and the recipient, (e) support not given from or to an

organization, the community, or a professional, and (f) support that does not have a

negative intent or is given grudgingly.

Given these constraints, it is unclear as to whether social support is present in

cases of critically ill, incoherent recipients, in cases of negative outcomes in which either

the recipient or provider perceive the support actions as positive, in support given from or

to an organization, the community, or a professional, and in support that has a negative

intent or is given grudgingly.

In order for social support to yield maximum life satisfaction benefits, it must

include the ingredient of reciprocity (Lee, 1985). Reciprocity involves mutual sharing or

giving and helps to sustain self-worth. In fact, Hess and Soldo (1985) reported that

impairment actually increases as reciprocity decreases.

Social Support Questionnaire

The instrument presented in this article is the product of a series of studies,

involving several hundred subjects, that was concerned with the assessment of social

support. These pilot investigations dealt with such issues as item development, reliability,

and psychometric characteristics. Sixty-one items were written to sample the great variety

of situations in which social support might be important to people. These items were

administered to college students who were asked to list for each item all of the

individuals who provided them with support in the situation described. The subjects also

rated their level of satisfaction with the support received. Items that showed low

9
correlations with the other items were eliminated. In addition to preliminary item

analyses, pilot investigations were conducted to explore possible scoring methods for

availability of support. Among the methods investigated were computing the number of

supportive people listed within each category of relationship (e.g . immediate family,

friends, relatives), assessing frequency of contact and length of relationship with

supportive persons, and counting the total number of different individuals listed

throughout the questionnaire. The intercorrelations among the various indexes of

availability or amount of support were generally high (most had correlations greater than

70). Because the simplest procedure was a count of supportive persons, the availability

index selected was the number of persons listed divided by the number of items.

In addition to evidence that the availability of childhood social support is related

to personality development and adult behavior patterns, there is also evidence of the

detrimental effects of lack of support in adults. De Araujoan and associates (De Araujo,

Dudley, & Van Arsedel,1972; De Araujo, Van Ardel, Holmes, & Dudley,1973) reported

that asthmatic patients with good social supports required lower levels of medication to

produce clinical improvement than did asthmatics with poor social supports. There is

much evidence that medical and surgical patients benefit from attention and expressions

of friendliness by physicians and nurses (Auerbach & Kilmann, 1977). Nuckolls, Cassel,

and Kaplan (1972) studied lower-middle-class pregnant women living in an overseas

military community. These authors studied two factors of special interest: recent stressful

life events and psychosocial assets, a major component of which was defined as the

availability of social supports. Neither life changes nor psychosocial assets alone

10
correlated significantly with complications of pregnancy. However, women high in life

changes and low in psychosocial assets had many more birth complications than any

other group. Sosa, Kennell, Klaus, Robertson, and Urrutia (1980) found that the presence

of a supportive person had a favorable effect on length of labor and on mother-infant

interaction after delivery.

Eaton (1978) reported that the occurrence of stressful life events is associated

with more psychiatric disorder among those living alone or unmarried than those living

with others or married. Andrews, Tennant, Hewson, and Schonell (1978) found that the

combination of recent stressful life events, low level of social support, and adverse

childhood experiences successfully predicted the occurrence of maladjustment in adults.

There is evidence that depressives tend to report the lack of availability of supportive

others (Winefield, 1979). Henderson (1980) concluded that a deficiency in social bonds

may, independent of other factors, be a cause of some forms of behavioral dysfunction.

The diversity of measures of social support is matched by the diversity of

conceptualizations concerning its ingredients. Weiss (1974) discussed six dimension of

social support: intimacy, social integration, nurturance, worth, alliance, and guidance.

Convenient operationalization of these dimensions has not yet occurred. Kelly, Muñoz,

and Snowden (1979) delineated three types of social support: personal,

intraorganizational, and extraorganizational. According to Caplan’s theory (1974), social

support implies an enduring pattern of continuous or intermittent ties that play a

significant part in maintaining the psychological and physical integrity of the individual

over time. For Caplan, a social network provides a person with “psychosocial supplies”

for the maintenance of mental and emotional health.

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Theories of Social Support

Theories related to social support are both divergent and overlapping. The convoy

theory of social support describes three layers of support protection: the innermost layer

or most intimate and important social support providers, the second layer that includes

important, but less intimate, social support providers, and the outer layer that is close

only in respect to the function of an individual’s role, as in the case of a co-worker

(Siebert & Mutran, 1999).

Activity theory proposes that social activity and involvement with others results

in an increased ability to cope with aging, improved self-concept, and enhanced

emotional adjustment to the aging process (Lee, 1985). Activity theory presumes that

changes in social involvement are imposed by society. For example, mandated retirement

ages often isolate elders from work related social contacts. Additionally, fixed incomes

imposed by retirement often limit the ability to engage in certain social activities.

In contrast, disengagement theory assumes that social involvement decreases with

aging, and is a normal part of the aging process that is independent of other aging

phenomena (such as debility), and is mutually beneficial for both the individual and

society (Lee, 1985). Elders often disengage as a means of cushioning themselves from

the inevitable grief due to loss of peers from illness and death (Lee). Additionally, eldery

disengagement makes room for younger individuals entering the work force or seeking

leadership positions.

Exchange theory postulates that there is a dependence of those with fewer

resources upon those with greater resources resulting in a social power disparity (Lee,

12
1985). This dynamic may offer an explanation as to why elders frequently prefer peer

relationships that are more likely to offer equality rather than cross-generational

relationships.

For the purposes of this study, Hupcey’s (1998) delimited definition of social

support was used. Additionally, all of the aforementioned social support theories were

considered when observing the phenomenon of social support in a nursing home

environment. Due to the limitations of the study, resident perceptions of relationships and

of the impact of those relationships on residents’ sense of well-being had to be surmised

from observations. Therefore, it is difficult to truly know whether observed isolation was

a negative attribute as described in the Activity theory or a normal aging process as

described by the Disengagement theory. Additionally, the Exchange theory can be used

to explain the limited benefits that might be gained through resident-staff interactions.

Psychosocial Stage 8 - Integrity vs. Despair

Erikson (1959) believed that people face eight major crises, which he labeled

psychosocial stages, during the course of their life. Each crisis emerge at a distinct time

dictated by biological maturation and the social demands that people experience at

particular points in life. Each crisis must be resolved successfully to prepare for a

satisfactory resolution of the next life crisis. Erikson believed people experience a

conflict that serves as a turning point in development. In Erikson’s view, these conflicts

are centered on either developing a psychological quality or failing to develop that

quality. During these times, the potential for personal growth is high, but so is the

potential for failure.

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• This phase occurs during old age and is focused on reflecting back on life.

• Those who are unsuccessful during this phase will feel that their life has been wasted

and will experience many regrets. The individual will be left with feelings of bitterness

and despair.

• Those who feel proud of their accomplishments will feel a sense of integrity.

Successfully completing this phase means looking back with few regrets and a general

feeling of satisfaction. These individuals will attain wisdom, even when confronting

death.

(Harlak 2001) Despair has its roots in separation from those who provide needed

and desired interpersonal intimacy, and then etiologic factor must be related either to the

failure to generate these relationship or loss of established relationship. Person over 70

have experienced past losses, and the livelihood of the future losses high compensatory

behavior in finding new sources of caring and contact maybe limited. One of the most

potent factor in producing profound loneliness and despair, particularly among the elderly

is the death of the mate, sibling child, housemate, or dear friend. Each loss deprives the

person of a source of caring and of a support system. Being unable to turn the person who

is genuinely caring and interested in time of need has been found to be a definite factor in

producing despair. Loss of siblings tends to produce greater despair than the loss of a

child. However, it is difficult to generalize because it is the nature of the relationship and

the needs meet to determine the resultant despair with loneliness.

(Salkinel 2004) If the quality of the relationship was good, it often meets

the major portion of the older person’s needs to give and receive caring. Even

when a relationship with a mate or housemate left something to be desired, it set

14
 the pattern for activities and demands of daily living. Thus, the loss represents a

major gap into survivors’ pattern of daily living as well as loss of source of

human intimacy. Despair tends to occur or increases at particular times of the day,

or week, or years. Of elderly subjects viewed about their experiences with despair

and loneliness. 45% were most lonely at a certain time of the year. Evenings,

Sundays, and Christmas were most consistently mentioned the elderly offered

several reasons for being desperate and lonely. Most reasons involved changing

relationships.

Additional etiologic factors have been found to be associated with despair.

Women are found to be more socially isolated and lonely than men. Other persons who

live alone were reported in one study to be four times more likely to be desperate than

those who live with others. Moving from an adequate to an inadequate income brings

greater risk of despair and loneliness and does a pattern of being easily bored. Chronic

alcoholism also produces intense despair

Integrity is a concept that characterizes human relationships. The

dictionary suggests many synonyms as “familiar, close, very dear, confidential, home

like, deep deepseated, confident, and special, a relationship is to adequately fulfill a

human’s need for intimacy must meet the following criteria:

A sense of belonging – I to you, you to me we belong to each other. There

is a sense of fit and harmony.

Familiarity – Nothing new is intimate

15
 Repetition – I t is a repetition of a previous experiences and a

desire for ongoing or future repetition not a brief

encounter.

Sameness – A sense of flowing and change through time, binding

pat to present and future. It has no look or calendar.

Sharing – of material, time space and each other.

All of these, suggests a quality of constancy and integrity. Continued replacement

of sources of interaction, even caring interaction, does not constitute an intimate

relationship, even though it can be the best one can do. This concept gives a rationale for

maintaining as much stability continuity, and predictability as possible to relationships

even those of health care providers.

Despair, the experience of deprivation of desired and needed human intimacy, can affect

elderly in at least two major directions. It causes personal suffering in the loss or absence

of someone it care for and from who caring can be received. Second, failure to have the

foundation of love means that energy must be directed to meeting thins more basic need

or coping with the deficit rather than in accomplishing the development task of the later

years.

Despair involves both qualitative and quantitative elements. If available

relationships fail to satisfy to recipient, there is a qualitative deficit. Thus an older person

may be acutely lonely and desperate in the midst of a family gathering or with others who

presumably could offer caring personal encounters.

Deprivation may also have a quantitative dimension. Contacts, when they occur,

may be lost satisfying, but may be so infrequent as to cause long periods of despair.

16
When both elements of deprivation-quantitative and qualitative are present, the older

person is truly desperate.

There is an element of time in despair- the past, the present, and the future. The

discomfort of despair may be generated by a current situation, recent losses, frequent

unsatisfactory relationships, absence of sources of genuine intimacy. It also can be a

flashback phenomenon when recall of earlier despair at times causes anew the signs and

symptoms. Anniversaries of event-marriages, births, deaths, family celebrations,

retirement and holidays are times of high risk of despair generated by recall, particularly

for individuals who have been married and have had children or close relations with

family.

Fear of future despair and loneliness produces threat and anxiety. Illness in a

cherished person, attending funerals of friend’s mates and relatives, and reading the

obituaries can trigger anxiety over future losses and attendant despair and loneliness.

How many individuals attend a funeral and weep, not for the loss of the deceased person,

but for the thought of their own potential losses? The mere fact of aging brings all

realistically closer to death and threats of separation. With reduced sources and

opportunities of intimacy, any threat of loss is truly anxiety producing.

Since everyone needs some degree of human intimacy, all are vulnerable. Thus,

the suffering of despair is contagious, it is a threat and it is threat of despair and

loneliness. Encounters with acutely lonely people, either directly or vicariously through

books, poetry, drama, music, movies, or television can create anxiety as the awareness of

personal vulnerability occurs. Widows can affect to the fact that they are not as genuinely

17
welcome in social gatherings with their married friends as they were when they were

wives, even though these same people obviously still came for them

This contagious feature of despair and loneliness, produce by contacting lonely

persons or even knowing of their despair is an inhibiting force in bringing relief. Persons

who might be a source of comfort may engage in distancing maneuvers during

encounters in order to avoid being swept up themselves other persons despair. They may

keep busy with other things, behave in neutral or professional manner, maintain physical

distances (avoiding touch or eye contact), or carry on hearty superficial conversation that

only mimics caring and blocks deeper contact. Beyond this superficial charade, people

may decrease or avoid all together personal contact. Even phone calls may be fewer. It is

easy to deny or rationalize distancing behavior – for professionals particularly. But it

does not help much to the desperate person deal with these problems.

Because of its threatening and alienating feature, despair and loneliness may

evoke to talk about it during the episode or even afterwards. Sullivan (1953) indicated

that despair is so dreaded and painful that is avoided, distinguish, or goes unnoticed.

Therefore, are might predict that the direct complains of despair and loneliness are in

inverse relationship to the suffering being experience- the greater the suffering, the more

obscure and distinguished the complains. It takes astute observation of subtle cues to the

problem. The same relationship holds a true for the family on a desperate persons and

health professionals all may deny a person a person’s despair in order to protect

themselves from the pain of the victim or to avoid appearing to be calloused toward a

need they may feel unable or unwilling to meet.

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Psychosocial Task Development Inventory Questionnaire

Psychosocial Task Development Inventory is based on the work of Don

Hamachek, Ph.D., Michigan State University. These inventory sheets are adaptation of

Ericson’s Psychosocial Developmental Tasks. He made a questionnaire on every stages

of psychosocial task. The Psychosocial Task Development Inventory Questionnaire:

Integrity versus Despair is used for Elderly. It is used to assess an elderly psychosocial

task between Integrity and Despair. It’s also provides information that will help you find

strengths and weaknesses of elderly that will help them in their personal, emotional

development. Psychosocial Task Development Inventory Questionnaire was first used by

Dr. Don Hamachek in Michigan, USA to assess Elderly in Nursing homes and even those

are living in their own home.

REVIEW OF RELATED STUDIES

Thompson MG, Heller K (1990) discussed in his book Psychology Vol 5 about

Faces of support related to well-being: Quantitative social isolation and perceived family

support in a sample of elderly women. The purpose of his study was to examine the

independent and interactive relationships of measures of network embeddedness and

perceived social support with mental and physical health measures from responses of a

sample of 271 community-dwelling elderly women. Quantitative social isolation was

measured as the co-occurrence of low network embeddedness with family and with

friends. There was a threshold effect such that quantitatively isolated participants had

poorer psychological well-being and functional health than did no isolated participants.

This effect was independent of perceived support levels. The pattern was different for

19
perceived social support. Elderly women with low perceived family support had poorer

psychological well-being regardless of perceived support from friends or network

embeddedness.

In the research of Department of Epidemiology and Public Health, Yale

University School of Medicine, U.S.A. by Teresa E. Seeman and Lisa F. Berkman

(1988) entitled Structural characteristics of social networks and their relationship with

social support in the elderly: Who provides support? The analyses presented here

examine relationships between structural characteristics of social networks and two types

of support (instrumental and emotional support) in a sample of community- dwelling

individuals aged 65 and older. For each type of support, two dimensions are examined (1)

the availability of such support and (2) the perceived adequacy of that support.

Regression models, adjusting for age, sex, race and income show that structural

characteristic such as total network size, number of face-to-face contacts and number of

proximal ties are associated with greater availability of both instrumental and emotional

support. The perceived adequacy of both types of support is most strongly related to the

number of monthly face-to-face contacts. Comparisons of specific types of ties show that

neither ones' spouse nor ones' children are primary sources of support. Rather the

presence of a confidant is strongly associated with both dimensions of instrumental and

emotional support; the presence of a spouse is not. And, while ties with children are most

strongly related to aspects of instrumental support, ties with close friends and relatives

are more strongly related to aspects of emotional support. Analyses of possible

interactions show that for those without a spouse, confidants assume greater importance

in providing emotional support. For those without children, ties with close friends and

20
relatives assume a larger role relative to the perceived adequacy of both emotional and

instrumental support.

According to the study of Potts, MK (1987) entitled Social support and

depression among older adults living alone: the importance of friends within and outside

of a retirement community published by Department of social work, California State

University, Long Beach The study examined the extent to which social support from

friends both within and outside of a retirement community was associated with

depression. Although levels of social support from friends within the retirement

community were quantitatively high, they failed to have a significant effect on

depression. In contrast, social support from friends living elsewhere consistently

predicted low levels of depression. Practice implications include the importance of

maintaining friendship ties with people living elsewhere and of strengthening friendship

ties within the retirement community.

According to the study conducted by Department of Nursing Science,University

of Turku, Finland about Social contacts and their relationship to loneliness among aged

people - a population-based study by Routasalo PE, Savikko N, Tilvis RS, Strandberg

TE, Pitkälä (2006) KH: Emotional loneliness and social isolation are major problems in

old age. These concepts are interrelated and often used interchangeably, but few studies

have investigated them simultaneously thus trying to clarify their relationships. data were

collected with a postal questionnaire. Background information, feelings of loneliness,

number of friends, frequency of contacts with children, grandchildren and friends, the

expectations of frequency of contacts as well as satisfaction of the contacts were inquired.

The main results shows more than one third of the respondents (39.4%) suffered from

21
loneliness. Feeling of loneliness was not associated with the frequency of contacts with

children and friends but rather with expectations and satisfaction of these contacts. The

most powerful predictors of loneliness were living alone, depression, experienced poor

understanding by the nearest and unfulfilled expectations of contacts with friends.

Findings support the view that emotional loneliness is a separate concept from social

isolation. This has implications for practice. Interventions aiming at relieving loneliness

should be focused on enabling an individual to reflect her own expectations and inner

feelings of loneliness.

According to Cutrona, Carolyn; Russell, Dan; Rose, Jayne, (1986) Mar 1986, 47-

54 entitled Social support and adaptation to stress by the elderly by they examined the

prospective effects of stress and social support on the physical and mental health of 50

60–88 yr olds, who were assessed twice over a 6-mo period. Instruments included the

UCLA Loneliness Scale; Self-Rating Depression Scale; and measures of physical health,

social support, and stressful life events. Social support was a significant predictor of

physical health status, whereas mental health was related to the stress by social support

interaction. Results are consistent with the buffering hypothesis, in that high levels of

social support reduced the negative impact of stress on mental health. Ss who were in

better mental health at the initial assessment experienced fewer stressful events and

higher levels of social support over the subsequent 6-mo period, whereas physical health

was directly influenced by social provisions that were related to feeling valued by others.

According to Sarason, I.G. entitled Interrelationships among individual difference

variables; the subject of this study is a sample of 602 University of Washington

undergraduate was administered the social support Questionnaire. It is a process of

22
getting the Man Number (N) and satisfaction (S) and was computed for each of the

SSQ’s 20 items and for the entire scale. Interitem correlations and reliability indexes

were also computed. The SSQ seems to have a number of desirable psychometric

properties. It was found to have (a) stability over a 4-week period of time and (b) high

internal consistency among items. The modest correlation of .34 between SSQ-N and

SSQ-S provides a strong basis for analyzing social support into its components.

Certainly, if social support were a unitary concept, the SSQ-N/SSQ-S correlation should

have been higher. The perceived availability of support, reflected by the SSQ-N score,

and the satisfaction with the support that is available, reflected by the SSQ-S score, each

appear to be worthy of study and analysis.

SIMILARITIES AND DIFFERENCES OF CITED STUDY

WITH THE PRESENT STUDY

Some of the cited studies have a similarity on the use of the respondents which

are the elderly people. It also used the same research design cited above and used the

same sampling. Data gathering procedures includes distribution of questionnaires, and

tabulation of data gathered.

The correlational variable used in the cited studies is different in proving the

social support manifested by the elderly. Some studies correlate social support to other

variable. While this research correlational variable, is developmental stage: Integrity vs.

Despair.

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 CHAPTER III

METHODOLOGY

This chapter presents the methods of research, respondents of the study, data

gathering instrument, data gathering procedure, statistical treatment of data. This will

guide the researchers for collecting the data in an organize way.

METHODS OF RESEARCH

This study is a co relational study. It is an a quantitative method of research in

which you have 2 or more quantitative variables from the same group of subjects, and
you are trying to determine if there is a relationship (or co variation) between the 2
variables (a similarity between them, not a difference between their means).
Theoretically, any 2 quantitative variables can be correlated as long as you have scores
on these variables from the same participants; however, it is probably a waste of time to
collect & analyze data when there is little reason to think these two variables would be
related to each other.
30 or more participants; is important to increase the validity of the research.
Your hypothesis might be that there is a positive correlation or a negative correlation. A
perfect correlation would be an r = +1.0 & -1.0, while no correlation would be r = 0.
Perfect correlations would almost never occur; expect to see correlations much less than
+ or - 1.0. Although correlation can't prove a causal relationship, it can be used for
prediction, to support a theory, to measure test-retest reliability, etc.
RESPONDENTS OF THE STUDY

To measure the correlation of developmental stage: Integrity versus despair to the

social function of elderly. This survey target population is 100 random male and female

elderly age 60-85 years old in the institution of Lualhati ng Maynila, Parang Marikina.

The sampling technique used is questionnaires. It is the best way to collect data of

the research.

24
DATA GATHERING INSTRUMENT

The instrument presented in this research is the product of a series of studies, the

researcher will use to questionnaires. The Psychosocial Task Development Inventory and

Social Support Questionnaire

Psychosocial Task Development Inventory is based on the work of Don

Hamachek, Ph.D., Michigan State University. These inventory sheets are adaptation of

Ericson’s Psychosocial Developmental Tasks. They should be used to give you

information that will help you find your strengths and weaknesses that help in your

personal, emotional development. Each category has 10 statements. Researchers used

scale options specifically Agreement Scale which consists of 5 options such as Strongly

Agree, Agree, Moderate Agree, Disagree, and Strongly Disagree. The rating scale of

Psychosocial Task Development Inventory: rating of 4.6 – 5 is interpreted as Strongly

Agree, 3.6 – 4.5 is Agree, 2.6 – 3.5 is moderately Agree, 1.6 – 2.5 is Disagree and 1.0

-1.5 is Strongly Disagree. Rating of integrity is within 2.6 – 5 while Despair is within 1.0

- 2.6.

Level of Satisfaction of Social Support Questionnaire Is concerned with the

assessment of social support. The subjects rated their level of satisfaction with the

support they received. The level of satisfaction of Social Support Questionnaire that

the researchers modified is consisting of 10 items. It is also an agreement scale which

consists of 5 options such as Strongly Satisfied, Satisfied, Moderate Satisfied,

Dissatisfied, and Strongly Dissatisfied. The rating scale of Level of Satisfaction of

Social Support Questionnaire: rating of 4.6 – 5 is interpreted as Strongly Agree, 3.6 –

25
 4.5 is Agree, 2.6 – 3.5 is moderately Agree, 1.6 – 2.5 is Disagree and 1.0 -1.5 is

Strongly Disagree.

DATA GATHERING PROCEDURE

The researchers will ask permission to conduct the study by a request letter to

Administration of Lualhati ng Maynila, Parang, Marikina carry out a survey regarding

psychosocial development and social function. Upon approval the researchers will

schedule the date of the survey which is conducted in Lualhati ng Maynila. Before letting

the respondents answer the survey. We would orient them the purpose of our visit and the

contents of the questionnaire. We would also assure to them that all the answers will be

confidential for their own privacy. The 100 random respondents aged 60-85 yrs. Old will

be given 2 questionnaires. Psychosocial Task Development Inventory 10 items and The

level of satisfaction of Social Support Questionnaire 10 items. Administering the research

instrument will be conducted for 3 days. After all questionnaires has been fill up by our

100 respondents. We would tabulate the results of gathered data for statistical

computation and analysis.

STATISTICAL TREATMENT OF DATA

Analysis of Variance

1. The variance of elderly integrity and elderly in despair are independent samples

that differ, the appropriate statistic to determine the significance of such

difference is the T-Test. Let d be the mean value of the difference d, between x

and y, where x and y are paired observations from samples taken from two normal

dependent populations with means µ1 and µ2 and standard deviations σ1 and σ2,

26
 respectively. For n pairs of observations, the values of d will have a t distribution

of all d values for paired observations. The test statistics is:

t=

Where:

• = Mean data of group 1

= Mean Data of group 2

= Standard deviation of group 1

• = Standard deviation of group 2

= Number of Observation

The critical values have

The level of Confidence on is 1%

27
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