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Open Access Publications from the University of California

Scholarly Works (3 results)

  • Article
On-Line Working Paper Series (2005)

Objectives: This study investigates relationships between perceived levels of work-family

conflict and retirement preferences.

Methods: Using the large sample of 52-54 year-old respondents to the 1992 Wisconsin

Longitudinal Study, we estimate multinomial logistic regression models of preferences for partial

and full retirement within the next ten years. We examine the association between preferences

for retirement and perceived work-family conflict, evaluate the extent to which work-family

conflict is a mediating mechanism between stressful work and family circumstances and

preferences for retirement, and explore potential gender differences in the association between

work-family conflict and retirement preferences.

Results: Work-family conflict is positively related to preferences for both full and partial

retirement. Yet work-family conflict does not appear to mediate relationships between stressful

work and family environments and retirement preferences, nor do significant gender differences

emerge in this association.

Discussion: Our analyses provide the first direct evidence of the role played by work-family

conflict in the early stages of the retirement process, although we are not able to identify the

sources of conflict underlying this relationship. Identifying the sources of this conflict and the

psychological mechanisms linking work-family conflict to retirement preferences is an important

task for subsequent research.

    Cover page: Work-Family Conflict and Retirement Preferences
    • Article
    • Peer Reviewed
    UC Santa Cruz Previously Published Works (2021)

    Objective

    Retirement is a potential trigger for cognitive aging as it may be a stressful life event accompanied by changes in everyday activities. However, the consequences of retirement may differ across institutional contexts which shape retirement options. Comparing memory trajectories before and after retirement in 17 European countries, this study aims to identify cross-national differences in the association between retirement and memory decline.

    Method

    Respondents to the longitudinal Survey of Health, Aging, and Retirement in Europe (SHARE; N = 8,646) aged 50+ who were in paid work at baseline and retired during the observation period completed up to 6 memory assessments (immediate and delayed word recall) over 13 years. Three-level (time points, individuals, and countries) linear mixed models with country-level random slopes for retirement were estimated to evaluate whether memory decline accelerated after retirement and if this association differed between countries.

    Results

    On average, retirement was associated with a moderate decrement in word recall (b = -0.273, 95% CI -0.441, -0.104) and memory decline accelerated after retirement (b = -0.044, 95% CI -0.070, -0.018). Significant between-country heterogeneity in memory decline after retirement existed (variance = 0.047, 95% CI (0.013, 0.168). Memory decline after retirement was more rapid in Italy, Greece, Czech Republic, Poland, Portugal, and Estonia compared to Northern and Central European countries.

    Discussion

    Memory decline postretirement was faster in Mediterranean and eastern European countries, which are characterized by less generous welfare systems with comparatively low pension benefits. Evaluation of resources that could protect retirees from memory decline would be valuable.
      Cover page: Cross-national Differences in the Association Between Retirement and Memory Decline
      • Article
      On-Line Working Paper Series (2009)

      Objectives. This study investigates whether the association between retirement and emotional well-being depends on prior experience of work-family conflict. Methods. We use data from the 1993 and 2004 waves of the Wisconsin Longitudinal Study to estimate linear regression models of emotional well-being, including symptoms of depression and positive psychological functioning. We also use fixed effects models to investigate whether key findings persist after controlling for stable but unobserved characteristics of individuals. Results. Retirement is associated with a relatively greater reduction in depressive symptoms among individuals previously experiencing high levels of work stress interfering with family life. We find suggestive evidence of a similar improvement in well-being with respect to positive psychological functioning after accounting for unobserved characteristics of individuals such as personality or coping style. Among those previously exposed to high levels of family stress spilling into work at midlife, our results suggest that retirement tends to bring greater improvements in emotional well-being among men than women. Discussion. Retirement may come more as a relief than a stressor for individuals previously experiencing high levels of work demands interfering with family life. However, particularly among women, retirement may not relieve the burdens of family life stressors.

        Cover page: The Association Between Retirement and Emotional Well-Being: Does Prior Work-Family Conflict Matter?
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