Self-Creative Aspects of Decision Making in Old Age

Abstract

Objective: The study aimed at data-based exploration of the subtle indicators of older persons’ attitude towards change, investigated in the light of decision-making process that initiates various self-creative activities. Background: Traditionally, older adults are perceived as resistant to change. Their resistance can be destructive but it can also be constructive if it results from reflections over the consequences of changes and their biographical meaning. In the context of self-creation and agency, attitude towards change is not static – it is subject to modifications due to one’s acts of transgression and self-reflection. Method: The study was constructivist qualitative research conducted by means of intensive interviewing. This method enabled exploration of narrative reconstructions of the respondents’ biographies and identification of the processes of giving meaning to their own experiences and identity formation. The study was conducted among five older adults aged 74-84 years. Results: The analysis of the material led to some conclusions regarding two concepts that emerged from the data obtained: older persons’ attitude towards change and self-creative decision making in old age. Thanks to the data obtained, more information was obtained about attitudes towards changes in the context of different approaches to one’s own agency. Conclusion: The study showed that self-creative decision-making mirrors the transgressive or adaptive aspect of one’s attitude towards change, whereas the reflection upon one’s own experiences favors the development of the sense of agency in olde age. A key factor in self-creative decision making is intentionality, that is, conscious formation of identity in line with individual vision of self and the world. The results indicate that the ability to thoughtfully determine one’s attitude towards a change is a determinant of self-creative decisions, whereas lack of reflection leads to passive attitude and existential stagnation..

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