Resolve Identity Crises for the Elderly

It’s no surprise that Erik Erikson developed the concept of “identity crisis,” which refers to a drive to determine who each of us truly is during our times of developmental change. As a blond, blue-eyed boy, Erik was teased at public school for being a Jew and teased at temple school for looking so different from other German Jews. Before creating his own surname of Erikson, he’d been born Erik Salomonsen and, upon adoption by his stepfather, was renamed Erik Homberger.
     Erikson did carve out his own definitive identity. He attained academic positions in Psychology at University of California and Yale University in spite of not having even a bachelor’s degree, let alone a doctorate. His articulation of the identity crisis concept led to him becoming one of the most cited psychologists in history.
     Researchers at University of Washington saw that as people move into their senior years, the developmental changes often lead to a series of identity crises. Because many of these people are active consumers, resolving the crises can become a selling point for providers of products and services.
     The elderly often struggle to maintain a coherent sense of self as they shed belongings when moving to smaller quarters and shed activities when their capabilities wane. These consumers place greater importance than do younger consumers on screening possibilities in the marketplace for consistency with their existing interests, values, and needs. Although they may continue to explore, the tone of the exploration is more like what’s been seen in other research when comparing experts against novices.
     Researchers at University of Cincinnati, University of Florida, and University of Mississippi offered choices of a variety of music samples to study participants. Novices accepted a few new songs in a multitude of genres. Experts, on the other hand, accepted a greater number of songs solely from one or a limited number of genres in which they considered themselves to have some expertise.
     Still, one burgeoning interest in the elderly is the desire to leave a legacy. The University of Washington researchers point to how a motivation arises to create an oral history, write an autobiography, or discuss prized possessions with younger family members. Women in particular often start to distribute their family heirlooms or add instructions to wills about ways the heirlooms are to be distributed.
     From financial planners to repairmen, those serving the elderly should recognize the drive for stable identity.

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