Social Network Types Among Older Adults: A Multidimensional Approach
Abstract
Theories of social relations suggest that individuals' personal networks reflect multiple aspects of relationships, and that different constellations are more or less supportive of well-being. Using data from the Berlin Aging Study (N = 516; age, M = 85 years), we derived network types that reflect information about structure, function, and quality, and we examined their association with well-being. A cluster analysis revealed six network types: diverse-supported, family focused, friend focused-supported, friend focused-unsupported, restricted-nonfriends-unsatisfied, and restricted-nonfamily-unsupported. Well-being was predicted differentially by the six types. Although the oldest-old individuals (85 years of age or older) were overrepresented in the friend-focused-supported and restricted types, age did not moderate the association of types with well-being. A holistic consideration of structure, function, and quality of social networks in old age offers unique insights.
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Older adults' social lives are multiplex and heterogeneous and are not well captured by summary indices.
“However, the social lives of older adults are multiplex and heterogeneous, and not suitably captured by summary indices.”
From Why the cognitive ‘fountain of youth’ may be upstream: pathways to dementia risk and resilience through social connectedness (2022) · cites this paper as [64]
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- Authors
- Fiori, K. L., Smith, J., & Antonucci, T. C.
- Affiliations
- University of Michigan (US)
- Max Planck Society (DE)
- Corresponding author
- Fiori, K. L.
- Venue
- The Journals of Gerontology Series B: Psychological Sciences and Social Sciences
- Publisher
- Oxford University Press (OUP)
- Published
- 2007-11-01
- Volume
- 62
- Issue
- 6
- Pages
- P322-P330
- ISSN
- 1079-5014 (ISSN-L)
- 1758-5368
- OpenAlex
- W2144617542
- Cited by
- 420
- References
- 55
- Citations by year
- 2026: 14 · 2025: 15 · 2024: 22 · 2023: 23 · 2022: 23 · 2021: 84 · 2020: 25 · 2019: 25 · 2018: 30 · 2017: 19 · 2016: 28 · 2015: 22 · 2014: 14 · 2013: 21 · 2012: 15
- FWCI
- 12.39
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- closed
- Locations
- The Journals of Gerontology Series B (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- Max Planck Institute for Plasma Physics (submittedVersion)
- Max Planck Digital Library (submittedVersion)
- MPG.PuRe (Max Planck Society) (submittedVersion)
- Topics
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Neuropsychology and Physiological Psychology › Aging and Gerontology Research
- Health Sciences › Medicine › Public Health, Environmental and Occupational Health › Aging, Health, and Disability
- Social Sciences › Health › Health disparities and outcomes
- Keywords
- social networks, older adults, network types, well-being, social support, family relationships, friendship, network structure, network quality, oldest old, Berlin Aging Study
- MeSH terms
- Aged, Aged, 80 and over, Female, Humans, Male, Middle Aged, Personal Satisfaction, Quality of Life, Surveys and Questionnaires, Social Support
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