Recreation Leader and Co-participant Preferences of the Institutionalized Aged

Authors

  • Francis A. McGuire

Keywords:

Aging, Leadership, Co-Participants, Long Term Care Facilities

Abstract

A pictorial questionnaire was used to obtain data related to preferences of the elderly for leaders and co-participants in leisure activities. One hundred and thiny seven residents of long term care facilities were asked whether they preferred a young man, an old man, a young woman or an old woman as the leader in each of 19 leisure activities. They were also asked to indicate the individual with whom they most preferred to do the activity. Results indicated diversity in both leader and co-participant preferences. The old man was the preferred leader for two activities, the old woman for four activities, the young man for 10 activities and the young woman for one activity. It appears that preferences among the institutionalized aged for leisure companions and leaders are based on stereotypic notions of the "type" of activity involved and are therefore activity specific and not just based on characteristics of the person selected as coparticipant or leader.

Issue

Section

Research Papers