Positive and negative affect as potential mediators of the associations between positive social support and interactions on satisfaction during retirement

Dr. C.C. and Mabel L. Criss Library

Social networks play a role in how retirees adjust to retirement and their overall well-being in retirement. However, the role that positive and negative social interactions and satisfaction with social support play in retirement satisfaction have yet to be fully explored. As such, the current study examined the mediating role of positive and negative affect on the associations between satisfaction with support and positive and negative social interactions as predictors of retirement satisfaction among retired older adults. Data were collected from 433 older adults (M_age = 59.20, SD = 5.21; 51.5% female) in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. The current findings illustrate that positive and negative social interactions as well as positive and negative affect play a role in retirement satisfaction, and that satisfaction with social support plays a role in the relationship between negative social interactions and negative affect. These findings may also have implications for interventions aimed to increase social integration of retirees.