Abstract
In Western countries, it has been well documented that reciprocal social exchanges with family members enhance psychological adjustment among the elderly. This study examined (1) the association between reciprocal social exchange and psychological adjustment, (2) differences between family-dominant and non-family-dominant support networks and (3) whether reciprocal exchange was more critical in instrumental than in emotional support in Japanese subjects.
A total of 69 subjects, aged 65 or older, were individually interviewed regarding their social relationships using a self-report type method. Their psychological adjustment was assessed by self-esteem, self-efficacy, life-satisfaction, loneliness and depression scales. The results showed, as expected, that reciprocity of social exchange affected psychological adjustment. Moreover, reciprocal exchange was more important in instrumental than in emotional support. However, against our expectation, family-dominant networks were more efficient in enhancing psychological adjustment than non-family-dominant networks. Cultural and practical implications of this research are discussed.
