A safety net: How older adults build and maintain interpersonal relationships

Xiying Wang, Tiffany Knearem, Fanlu Gui, Srishti Gupta, Haining Zhu, Michael Williams, John M. Carroll

Research output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceedingConference contribution

2 Scopus citations

Abstract

Engaging in an active life is important for older adults to maintain and promote well-being. In this study, we discuss how older adults who are aging in place actively promote their well-being through the lens of interacting and socializing with others. We conducted an interview study with 10 participants to understand how they develop and maintain interpersonal relationships with others. We found that older adults took charge in creating, building, developing, and maintaining a safety net, which is reflected in the following four representations: pre-determined network, chosen network, interest-based network, and shared-identity network. We also identified three important characteristics of the safety net: coproducing, reciprocating, and strengthening identity, which influence older adults’ personal and social experiences.

Original languageEnglish (US)
Title of host publicationCHI 2018 - Extended Abstracts of the 2018 CHI Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems
Subtitle of host publicationEngage with CHI
PublisherAssociation for Computing Machinery
ISBN (Electronic)9781450356206, 9781450356213
DOIs
StatePublished - Apr 20 2018
Event2018 CHI Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems, CHI EA 2018 - Montreal, Canada
Duration: Apr 21 2018Apr 26 2018

Publication series

NameConference on Human Factors in Computing Systems - Proceedings
Volume2018-April

Other

Other2018 CHI Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems, CHI EA 2018
Country/TerritoryCanada
CityMontreal
Period4/21/184/26/18

All Science Journal Classification (ASJC) codes

  • Software
  • Human-Computer Interaction
  • Computer Graphics and Computer-Aided Design

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