Abstract
The relationship between leisure activities and successful aging in late adulthood was examined interms oflife satisfaction and psycho-social development. The 3 subsamples of elderly participants were (1) Life History (mental activity) Group (n=88), (2) Mountain Climbing (physical activity) Group (n=88) and (3) Control (neither mental nor physical) Group (n=62). Measurements of successful aging were the LSI (Life Satisfaction Inventory) and the EPSI (Erikson Psychosocial Stage Inventory). Members of the Life History Group scored higher on the LSI and on all EPSI items than did participants from the other two groups. The LSI and EPSI scores did not differ significantly between the Mountain Climbing Group and the Control Group. As to the relationship between life satisfaction and psych-social development, LSI scores and all developmental stage scores were correlated, and "trust" and "integrity" items had the highest of the EPSI score correlations with life satisfactron in all partrcrpant sub-groups. These findings suggest that writing a life history is associated with life satisfaction and psycho-social development in old age.
