As retirement becomes an extended component of the normative life cycle, understanding factors influencing retirement preparation activities of midlife individuals is important. This study examined the influence of gender, age, marital status, occupational status, educational attainment, income, perceived health, number of children, age of children, and number of dependent children on retirement planning behaviors and attitude toward retirement among 40- to 65-year-old university employees (N = 2,760). The study used regression analysis to determine the demographic variables that differentiated between individuals on four planning scales (financial , home equity, employment, and locational) and in their attitudes toward retirement. The relation ship between financial planning and total family income was the most significant finding. The discussion concludes with policy implications related to assisting midlife individuals in preparation for retirement.

This study examined patterns of exchange between 110 older adults and their friends. Using equity theory as the conceptual base, the amount and type of distress reported in the overall friend relationship, the helping aspect of the friendship, and the affective component of the relationship by those individuals in equitable versus inequitable friendships were examined. The results support the postulate of equity theory that individuals who perceived their relationship to be equitable express less distress with all aspects of their friendships than those who perceived their friendships as inequitable. The type of distress reported by respondents in the inequitable group, however, was contrary to the propositions of equity theory.

The purpose of the study was to examine demographic and personality characteristics of highly effective hospice volunteers. Volunteer coordinators of all Texas Hospice Organization member hospices were asked to select their most committed and effective volunteers to participate in the study. Volunteers had above-average incomes, were predominately white, female, active in other voluntary activities, and motivated by their own experiences with death of a loved one. The largest proportion of female volunteers (27.3 percent) were extroverted, sensing, feeling, judging personality types (ESFJ), whereas, for male volunteers, the largest proportion (20.8 percent) were introverted, sensing, thinking, judging personality types (ISTJ). This information will be beneficial in recruitment, training, and retention of hospice volunteers.

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