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Older never-married women are often confronted with negative stereotypes which find expression in terms like "spinster" or "old maid". Their life-situation, however, has rarely been a subject of empirical studies. In a research project at the University of Münster, started in 1985, some psychological and social aspects of the life-situation of never-married employed women born between 1919 and 1933 (in comparison to married women of the same age not employed) were studied by means of detailed interviews. Parts of the results concerning "life goals" and "life satisfaction" are described. The results relativize the negative stereotypes mentioned above. They indicate that in the retrospective view of their lives the never-married women had many life goals which they could not achieve, but that they do not regret this at present. They rate their life satisfaction as very high and actively pursue present goals and interests. There are only few differences between never-married and married women. The results are discussed with regard to cognitive theories of aging and to the specific historical background of the interviewees.
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