Abstract

This study examined differences between the current personal values of recently retired adults and retrospective reports of their pre-retirement values. The role that personal values play in the subjective well-being (SWB) of recent retirees was also investigated. It was hypothesized that achievement and power values would be perceived as lower after retirement, and that benevolence and universalism values would be perceived as higher after retirement. It was also hypothesized that goal adjustment capacity (GA) would predict the degree of reported difference between current and retrospective pre-retirement values. The pattern of relations among values and SWB for retirees was expected to differ from previous research findings based on younger adult samples. Self-report measures of current and pre-retirement values, GA, SWB, and demographics were administered to 385 recent retirees. HLM analyses revealed that differences between current and retrospective values were in the predicted directions. Age, education, and GA influenced achievement value ratings; gender influenced benevolence and universalism ratings; and power values were associated with education. Differences between current and perceived pre-retirement values were not explained by goal adjustment capacity. Regression analyses revealed that positive affect was predicted by reports of higher benevolence, self-direction, and stimulation values and negative affect was predicted by higher tradition and achievement values and lower self-direction values. Life satisfaction was predicted by lower tradition values as well as higher benevolence and conformity values. The results suggest that personal values and their relations to SWB vary along lifespan development