Journals of Gerontology Series B: Psychological Sciences and Social Sciences
HOME HELP FEEDBACK SUBSCRIPTIONS ARCHIVE SEARCH TABLE OF CONTENTS
 QUICK SEARCH:   [advanced]


     


This Article
Right arrow Full Text
Right arrow Full Text (PDF)
Right arrow Alert me when this article is cited
Right arrow Alert me if a correction is posted
Services
Right arrow Similar articles in this journal
Right arrow Similar articles in PubMed
Right arrow Alert me to new issues of the journal
Right arrow Download to citation manager
Citing Articles
Right arrow Citing Articles via Google Scholar
Google Scholar
Right arrow Articles by Wahl, H.-W.
Right arrow Articles by Becker, S.
Right arrow Search for Related Content
PubMed
Right arrow PubMed Citation
Right arrow Articles by Wahl, H.-W.
Right arrow Articles by Becker, S.
The Journals of Gerontology Series B: Psychological Sciences and Social Sciences 62:P90-P97 (2007)
© 2007 The Gerontological Society of America


RESEARCH ARTICLE

Age-Related Macular Degeneration and Change in Psychological Control: Role of Time Since Diagnosis and Functional Ability

Hans-Werner Wahl, Oliver Schilling and Stefanie Becker

1 Institute of Psychology and 2 Institute of Gerontology, University of Heidelberg, Germany.

Address correspondence to Hans-Werner Wahl, PhD, Institute of Psychology, Department of Psychological Aging Research, University of Heidelberg, Bergheimer Str. 20, 69115 Heidelberg, Germany. E-mail: h.w.wahl{at}psychologie.uni-heidelberg.de

We apply the life-span theory of control proposed by Heckhausen and Schulz to study the change in use of control strategies related to age-related macular degeneration (AMD). A mixed-model approach considers nonlinear relations of rate of change in the use of control strategies with time since diagnosis and functional ability. Data stem from a sample of 90 individuals with AMD (age, M = 79.5 years at Time 1), of whom 71 were assessed two times over 1 year. Compensatory primary control strategies increased shortly after the diagnosis, whereas the increase in compensatory secondary control strategies was related to functional loss in instrumental daily activities. Findings provide support for the critical role of compensatory control strategies in the event that individuals with AMD are faced with anticipated or real functional loss.







HOME HELP FEEDBACK SUBSCRIPTIONS ARCHIVE SEARCH TABLE OF CONTENTS
All GSA journals The Gerontologist
Journals of Gerontology Series A: Biological Sciences and Medical Sciences
Copyright © 2007 by The Gerontological Society of America.