Dependency in Caregiving Contexts : The Role of Personality

This paper examines the personality correlates of behavioral dependency and morale among 114 elderly care recipients. The research draws on a trait personality and person-environment perspective in order to understand factors which influence dependency in home and institutional environments. Subjects completed standardized scales of trait dependency, affiliation, and respect for authority. Measures of stoicism, caregiver affiliation, and respect for medical authority, which were specially designed with the elderly care recipient in mind, were also employed. Outcome variables were morale, physical dependency (ADL/IADL), and psychosocial dependency (six different kinds of dysfunctional interpersonal behavior rated by two experienced caregivers). Results showed standardized personality instruments to be largely unrelated to physical and psychosocial dependency. Conversely, the newly devised stoicism and respect for medical authority scales were significantly correlated with both kinds of behavioral dependency. Morale was most closely related to an independent (stoic) mindset and general affiliative tendency. Finally, the results highlight the differential impact of the home vs. institutional environment on trait and behavioral dependency, as well as their relation to morale. Overall, the findings suggest that both personality and the social environment play a role in determining the kind and amount of dependency expressed in caregiving contexts.

Level thesis:degree_level

thesis.doctoral

Grantor dc:publisher

Universität Heidelberg

Year

2002

Author dc:creator

• Burmedi, David

Contributors dc:contributor

• Wahl, Hans-Werner,

Repository record source_url

http://www.ub.uni-heidelberg.de/archiv/3074

OAI identifier oai:identifier

oai:archiv.ub.uni-heidelberg.de:3074