The 1976 Experiment: What Makes Elderly People Stubborn
Psychologists link stubbornness in the elderly to psychological reactance—a defensive reaction to loss of autonomy—rather than age-related changes. A 1976 experiment in a Connecticut nursing home showed that residents with choice had half the mortality rate. The author cites examples of rebellion against overprotection and criticizes 'elderspeak'.
Psychologists explain sudden stubbornness in elderly people not as age-related personality changes but as psychological reactance—a defensive reaction to being deprived of autonomy. When a person loses a voice in their own affairs, they resist in an attempt to regain control. The author gives examples: a grandfather had a grab bar installed without warning and demonstratively ignored it; setting up mobile banking led to weekly trips to the branch. Experts debunk the stereotype of grumpy old people, noting that personality softens over time, but the field of decisions narrows. A patronizing tone of communication, 'elderspeak', is perceived as an insult. The classic 1976 experiment in a Connecticut nursing home showed that residents who were given the right to arrange their living space, care for plants, and plan leisure time showed higher vitality after three weeks, and after a year and a half their mortality was half that of those deprived of autonomy. Earlier, 'Kursor' wrote about young people's rejection of love.