CONTROL AND THE ELDERLY - GOODNESS-OF-FIT

The present study is an investigation of the effects of person-environ ment fit on control in an elderly population. Person-environment fit t heory predicts that a fit or a match between the characteristics of th e person and the characteristics of the environment is important in de termining positive outcomes. In the present study, a measure of the mi sfit (i.e., the mismatch) between an individual's perceptions of contr ol and that individual's desire for control was used to predict life s atisfaction, depression, and self-reported health. The misfit between these constructs was found to be a significant predictor of depression , suggesting that a person-environment fit model may be important in e xplaining this outcome variable. In contrast to the hypothesis, misfit did not significantly predict life satisfaction, and only approached significance in the physical health model. Possible interpretations an d implications of these findings were discussed, and potential future research directions were suggested.