ORCID

https://orcid.org/0000-0001-7486-9102

Keywords

Retirement adjustment, well-being trajectories, work-nonwork interface, longitudinal analysis, social participation, life course perspective

Abstract

Retirement represents a significant life transition that profoundly impacts one’s subjective and social well-being. Drawing on the life course perspective, this study investigated retirement adjustment by analyzing the longitudinal patterns of well-being and the predictors influencing these trajectories. Using a mixed-methods approach, this study combined 16 years of longitudinal data from the Health and Retirement Study (HRS) (nA = 1,470, nB = 1,422) with qualitative narratives from retirees (n = 30) to provide a comprehensive understanding of the retirement adjustment process. The growth mixture model (GMM) analysis identified four distinct patterns in retirees' life satisfaction trajectories (i.e., high maintaining, low maintaining, U-shaped, and inverted U-shaped patterns) and five patterns in loneliness trajectories (i.e., high maintaining, low maintaining, high U-shaped, low U-shaped, and inverted U-shaped patterns). Retirees with high preretirement work-nonwork conflict faced persistent challenges, as they were less likely to maintain high well-being levels. Conversely, retirees with high preretirement work-nonwork enrichment maintained higher well-being levels and were less likely to experience fluctuations. Qualitative research identified three critical moderators: social participation, financial strain, and job stress. The interaction analysis using the longitudinal data revealed that retirees with high preretirement work-nonwork conflict benefitted from increased social participation and relief from job stress, which helped buffer negative effects on life satisfaction. When retirees experienced high work-nonwork enrichment and job stress, they initially experienced loneliness before recovery. By bridging retirement and work-nonwork literature, this research offers novel contributions to organizational scholarship, demonstrating how the preretirement work-nonwork interface shapes one’s quality of life even after retirement. The findings inform practical strategies to promote successful retirement adjustment, enhance well-being, and address the social and psychological needs of an aging population.

Completion Date

2025

Semester

Spring

Committee Chair

Jex, Steve

Degree

Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.)

College

College of Sciences

Department

Psychology

Identifier

DP0029279

Document Type

Dissertation/Thesis

Campus Location

Orlando (Main) Campus

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