Individual Differences in Habitual Social Goals and Daily Well–Being: The Role of Age and Relationship Closeness

Abstract

There is a robust evidence that social approach goals (i.e. approach of positive social outcomes) have positive consequences and social avoidance goals (i.e. avoidance of negative social outcomes) have negative consequences for subjective well-being in young adulthood. Little is known about individual differences in social goals in later life. The current diary study with young (n = 212), middle-aged (n = 232), and older adults (n = 229) tested-and supported--the hypotheses that age (i) differentially predicts the strength of habitual approach and avoidance goals in close and peripheral relationships and (ii) moderates the relation of approach and avoidance goals in peripheral (but not close) relationships and daily outcomes (subjective well-being, subjective health, and satisfaction with social encounters). Older adults compared to younger adults reported higher levels of avoidance goals in peripheral (but not close) relationships. Younger adults who reported high levels of approach goals and older adults who reported high levels of avoidance goals in peripheral relationships experienced the most positive daily outcomes. In addition, social goals moderated some of the associations between (positive and negative) daily interactions and daily outcomes. Results underscore the importance of the closeness of social partners for individual differences in social goals across adulthood.

Does Age Matter for Personality Psychology?

“…work, health, and social relationships), yet goal importance and especially goal attainability predicted later general and domain‐specific satisfaction rather similarly for adults of different age (Bühler et al, ). When differentiating social goals into approach and avoidance goals in very close, close, and peripheral social relationships, a more distinct pattern of associations with daily well‐being and satisfaction arose (Nikitin & Freund, ): Age‐related differences in social goals became most apparent in peripheral relationships compared to close relationships. Age differences in peripheral relationships are often explained with age‐related differences in remaining life time or future time perspective (Lang & Carstensen, ).…”

“…Changes in developmental tasks often co‐occur or necessitate environmental changes (e.g. changes in social relationships; Nikitin & Freund, ; Pusch et al, , and changes in daily situations; Müller et al, ; Noftle & Gust, ).…”

“…Goals, specifically social and life goals, were also examined in two studies examining the adult lifespan (Bühler, Weidmann, Nikitin, & Grob, 2019;Nikitin & Freund, 2019). Younger, middle-aged, and older adults differed in how important and how attainable they perceived distinct domains of life goals (e.g.…”

“…Changes in developmental tasks often co-occur or necessitate environmental changes (e.g. changes in social relationships; Nikitin & Freund, 2019;Pusch et al, 2019, and changes in daily situations; Müller et al, 2019;Noftle & Gust, 2019). So do we know when and why age might matter for effects how personality characteristics contribute to intrapersonal and interpersonal outcomes?…”

Feeling Out of Place: Internalized Age Stereotypes Are Associated With Older Employees’ Sense of Belonging and Social Motivation

“…Although not predicted the relationship between avoidance motivation and positive affect is consistent with previous research on older adults. For example, Nikitin and Freund (2019a) found that avoidance goals in peripheral social relationships were positively associated with daily well-being in older (but not younger) adults. The authors argued that the positive association between social avoidance goals and daily well-being is driven by an age-differential adaptivity of social avoidance goals.…”