FEATURES OF SATISFACTION WITH LIFE AND SUSTAINABILITY OF PEOPLE OF RETIREMENT AGE

Abstract

The article examines the meaning and significance of work for people of retirement age who remain active in the labor market, as well as those who have completed their employment. The realization of a person through work is closely connected with such psychological phenomena as goal setting, the meaning of life, the desire for self-realization, the expression of will, the desire to be needed, understanding one’s own way of life and opportunities for living. All this is related to the current level of vitality of the individual. Most researchers of vitality understand it as a specific personality trait that provides effective overcoming of the way of life and achievement of good life results. The importance of the constructs of vitality and its place in the formation of life satisfaction of people of retirement age are analyzed.

The aim of the study was to determine the psychological characteristics of working and non-working elderly people. The hypotheses are that the viability of working and non-working elderly people are different; elderly people who continue to work have a higher level of subjective control and are more satisfied with their lives than older people who do not work.

Methods. Theoretical and methodological analysis of scientific sources, systematization and generalization of psychological data on the research problem; questionnaires (author’s questionnaire, S. Maddi’s method of viability, J. Rotter’s “Level of subjective control” test, “Life satisfaction level” test); methods of mathematical data processing.

Results. The surveyed respondents were divided into two groups according to the hypotheses: working and non-working pensioners. The study found that people who continue to work are self-fulfilling in their own profession (social orientation), in contrast to non-working retirees who are realized through hobbies (for themselves: sports, yoga, knitting, cooking, foreign languages, etc.). Working retirees are more satisfied with their own health and life achievements, are more independent, have a higher level of subjective control and a higher rate of vitality, they rely more on their own strength.

Conclusions. The study confirmed the assumptions that working retirees have a higher level of satisfaction with their living conditions than non-working retirees.