Possible selves during retirement transition among filipino adults

• Main Author: Sevilleja, Aisha N.
• Format: text
• Language: English
• Published: Animo Repository 2020
• Subjects: Retirement; Older people > Philippines; Individuality; Human Factors Psychology
• Online Access: https://animorepository.dlsu.edu.ph/etdd_psych/2; https://animorepository.dlsu.edu.ph/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1002&context=etdd_psych
• Institution: De La Salle University

One of the major life transitions among older adults is retirement; several studies about retirement showed the transition processes involved in influencing different aspects of retirees' development. This study explored post-retirement experiences and possible selves during retirement transition using exploratory sequential mixed method design. There were three phases involved; the first phase explored retirees' experiences during their retirement transition, and this serves as a basis in writing possible selves questionnaire. The second phase deals with improving the developed questionnaire by exploring different factors that emerged from their possible selves and testing the instrument's internal consistencies. In the third phase, the developed tool was used to distinguish between possible selves on the retirement transition stages and sex. A total of 394 participants were involved in qualitative interviews and quantitative surveys in the three phases. The first phase of the study provided a background of how possible selves developed through retirees' retirement transition experiences. Their possible selves are described as the fear of unhealthy self, fear of being unproductive, intimacy and stability with the spouse, hope for family’s stability and independence, hope for dynamic self, and hope for continuous social engagement. Differences in the possible selves on the different stages of retirement transition and sex are evident. Specifically, the manifestation of intimacy and stability with spouse was more evident three years and above after retirement than one day retired to two years. Female retirees have greater hopes for social engagement than males. The constructed instrument yielded a promising index, as markedly shown in the study's reliability and validity; this tool can also be used as a screening tool for psychotherapy for the elderly. Implications for theory and practice are discussed.