disengagement theory

a theory proposing that old age involves a gradual withdrawal of the individual from society and of society from the individual. According to this theory, those happiest in old age have turned their attention inward toward the self and away from involvement in the outside world. Empirical research has shown, however, that this mutual withdrawal is not an inevitable component of old age. Compare activity theory; continuity theory. [developed by 20th-century U.S. psychologists Elaine Cumming and William E. Henry]

Browse dictionary by letter

a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w x y z

Psychology term of the day

January 3rd 2025

ring chromosome 18

a congenital chromosomal disorder characterized by microcephaly, ear and eye abnormalities, and mild to severe cognitive impairment. The condition is not hereditary but due to breakage of the arms of chromosome 18, which fuse to form one or more rings of varying sizes.