longitudinal associations between playfulness and resilience for older women in a leisure-based context: a study of the red hat society
Open Access
- Author:
- Chang, Po-ju
- Graduate Program:
- Recreation, Park and Tourism Management
- Degree:
- Doctor of Philosophy
- Document Type:
- Dissertation
- Date of Defense:
- September 06, 2013
- Committee Members:
- Careen M Yarnal, Dissertation Advisor/Co-Advisor
Careen M Yarnal, Committee Chair/Co-Chair
Garry Chick, Committee Member
Deborah Lee Kerstetter, Committee Member
Linda Ann Wray, Committee Member - Keywords:
- playfulness
resilience
older women
leisure
multilevel modeling - Abstract:
- According to the broaden-and-build theory, older adult playfulness may have an important role in contributing to enduring positive resources (e.g., social connections, coping strategies). However, less research has examined application of the broaden-and-build theory outside the laboratory environment, and none has connected it to the leisure context in a longitudinal study. Although the Red Hat Society, the subject of this study, has demonstrated its ability to provide older adult playfulness according to the broaden-and-build framework (Mitas, Qian, Yarnal, & Kerstetter, 2011), previous research has not examined changes in older women in this broaden-and-build process. The purpose of this study was to investigate and extend aspects of Fredrickson’s (2001) broaden-and-build theory using data from a longitudinal sample of participants in the Red Hat Society (RHS), a social club for women aged 50 and older. More specifically, the current study examined the effect of older adult playfulness on resilience growth, defined as an outcome of the broaden-and-build process, or positive adaptation across the life span (Strurgeon & Zautra, 2010). In addition to observing within-person differences between older adult playfulness and resilience across a 12-wave study period in a multilevel model analysis, between-person variables were included to examine differences based on the life-span developmental perspective. Social support from RHS friends and RHS identity were controlled to avoid other potential resources contributing to resilience growth among the women in this sample. Using longitudinal data from the research study Does Leisure Promote Well-being? A Longitudinal Examination of Mature Women’s Participation in Leisure-based Social Groups, conducted by Yarnal, Son, Qian, and Chick at The Pennsylvania State University in 2009, and multilevel modeling (MLM) analyses, data from 101 participants were examined to see if older adult playfulness contributed to resilience in older women, controlling for age, education, marital status, physical health, mental health, social support from RHS friends, and RHS identity. The results supported the broaden-and-build theory and found both within- as well as between-person effects of older adult playfulness on resilience growth in this particular group. Monthly older adult playfulness predicted higher levels of resilience over the 12 study months, controlling for age, education, marital status, and social support from RHS friends. Furthermore, mental health, the average level of older adult playfulness, and RHS identity moderated the association between older adult playfulness and resilience. The findings of this study added to the previous playfulness literature and connected the leisure and positive psychology fields by confirming that older adult playfulness facilitates resilience growth according to the broaden-and-build framework in a leisure-based context. Moreover, the findings provided additional evidence that resilience is a state-characteristic that can be changed by frequent positive leisure-based experiences.