1

CHAPTER I

INTRODUCTION

Retirement plays a major role in the lives of the elderly. The effects of retirement

differ from one person to another, depending on the person’s environment, mental health,

physical health, their perspective, and reason for retiring. The aim of the researchers is to

know the psychosocial impact of retirement among selected retired professors in Laguna

State Polytechnic University Los Baños Campus and to know if the retired professors are

in the stage of generativity or stagnation, based on Erik Erikson’s psychosocial theory.

According to Erik Erikson (2017), an individual undergoes a crisis that will affect

their life in a positive or negative way. People who undergo a crisis in the stage of middle

adulthood falls on the category of generativity or stagnation. If they tend to be productive

and do positive things that will make their mark in the society, they will be in the stage of

generativity, where they have fulfilled the things they want to do in contributing to the

society.

The researchers connected the theory of Erik Erikson to the retired professors of

Laguna State Polytechnic University in Los Baños. If these retired professors fail to

contribute, or failed to make their mark on the society, they would feel stagnant and

disengaged to the society that falls on the stage of stagnation. During this time, adult

professors make great effort to achieve, invest more time in meaningful relationships,

generate or foster things that would make their mark in the society.
 2

Most of the retired professors remain productive and experience sense of fulfillment

from the things that they want to accomplish in life when they exert effort on things that

will benefit the future generations. This study helped reveal the possible reasons behind

the success of the retirees in generativity, reveal their current self-image now that they are

retired, reveal the changes that occurred in their current social life and lifestyle, know the

factors that will make them fall under generativity rather than the stagnation side and why

they fall in generativity. Likewise it is also revealed the psychosocial impact on each

participant’s personality now that they are retired. This study could help professors know

the characteristics of people in generativity and stagnation and have a deeper understanding

of the psychosocial impact of retirement among retired professors in Laguna State

Polytechnic University Los Baños Campus.

Theoretical Framework

Humans in retirement age go through a lot of changes both physiologically and

psychologically. A theory used to aid the researchers in answering the questions in this

study is Erik Erikson’s Psychosocial Theory. Effects of retirement are mostly psychosocial

and in this theory, adults ages 40 to 65 may fall either under generativity or stagnation.

This is the retirement age in Laguna State Polytechnic University.

According to Erik Erikson, middle-aged people tend to be engaged in inventive,

important work, and family matters. This is the stage when individuals assume bigger

responsibilities and play the role of always being “in charge.” This is the time that some

people feel the urge to be productive and make contributions to the environment. At this

time, they fear being inactive and meaningless. Erikson’s concept of generativity manifests
 3

when a middle-aged person feels the need to offer something for the greater good by being

active and cooperative at home or in the community. Adults believe that their important

purpose is to preserve and continue the values in their culture by giving unconditional love

and care for their children, which also extends outside their homes as they become

participative in creating a stable environment for future generations. It must be noted that

one must not necessarily have offspring in order to achieve generativity. Success in this

phase usually depends upon one’s effort to give something for the betterment of many

(Kendra, 2018).

Important relationships are the ones within family, workplace, church, and other

communities. Major milestones may happen at this period children leave home, career path

turns drastically, and relationships or goals change. This is the stage when people

experience the mid-life crisis; they struggle with searching for new meanings and purposes

in their lives. When the person fails to win in the struggle, he will feel unproductive and

uninvolved which leads to the person becoming self-absorbed and stagnating. When a

person stagnates, the person engages in and promotes self-interest and self-indulgence, and

lacks interest in both the environment and the people living in it, especially the young ones

(McLeod, 2018).

The wear and tear theory of aging one of several theories asserts that the effects of

aging are caused by progressive damage to cells and body systems over time. Essentially,

our bodies "wear out" due to use. Once they wear out, they can no longer function correctly.

The wear and tear theory are deeply ingrained in our thinking, and it is the theory you will

often hear expressed in conversation and our culture. It was first proposed scientifically by

German Biologist, Dr. August Weismann in 1882. We simply expect that the body, as a
 4

mechanical system, is going to break down with use over the years. The wear and tear

theory of aging may also be referred to as simple deterioration theory or fundamental

limitation theory. In considering the different theories of aging, the wear and tear theory

may at first appear to be the most reasonable. It fits with our experience and carries familiar

patterns. Yet there are other theories which, instead of viewing aging as a random wear and

tear process, view aging as a more intentional process, a planned event. That aging may be

more than just an accumulation of damage as occurs without cars is a relatively new field

of study (Stibich, 2017).

With the progressive damage of cells and body systems over time due to aging,

people get weaker. When professors experience this progressive damage of wear and tear

theory, it can affect the way they teach the students. With their body wearing out through

time, they became very vulnerable to different illness. There are some professors who

began to forget easily, experience blurry vision just to name a few. And this may lead to

stagnation. Continuity theory helps describe the psychological development of middle-

aged and older individuals, particularly with regard to retirement. The theoretical

assumption of Continuity theory is that individuals are regularly guided by existing internal

mental frameworks, which make them more likely to maintain similar patterns of behaviors

or lifestyles across time, changing only slowly. Robert Atchley began the initial framework

for the theory in 1968. He studied transitions into retirement and witnessed that older

individuals were not in crisis as other existing theories posited (e.g., Disengagement theory

or Role theory). Rather, most individuals in the study were effectively adapting to

retirement. Atchley built upon the Continuity theory framework between 1975 and 1999

during the Ohio Longitudinal Study of Aging and Adaptation (Cooper & Beehr, 2015).
 5

What Describes continuity theory is a great example of being a part society and being

productive, which categorize the elderly person to generativity.

Disengagement theory outlines a process of disengagement from social life that

people experience as they age and become elderly. The theory states that, over time, elderly

people withdraw, or disengage from, the social roles and relationships that were central to

their life in adulthood. As a functionalist theory, this framework casts the process of

disengagement as necessary and beneficial to society, as it allows the social system to

remain stable and ordered (Crossman, 2017). The outline of disengagement theory sets the

elderly person to stagnation by withdrawing the elderly person from society.

 6

Statement of the problem

The aim of the researchers were to know the psychosocial impact of retirement

among selected retired professors in Laguna State Polytechnic University Los Baños

Campus. The researchers used the individual perspectives of the participants to determine

the psychosocial impact of retirement.

This study has four main questions, these are:

1. What is the current self-image of the retired professor?

2. What changes occurred on their social life and lifestyle after their retirement?

3. What are the factors that influenced the selected retired professors to fall either

under generativity or stagnation?

4. What is the psychosocial impact of retirement on the participants’ personality?

Significance of the Study

This study may help the following.

This may help University Professors know the psychosocial impact of retirement

and to prepare themselves for the gains and losses they might have after retirement and this

can be a guide to a better retirement plan.

The study may help Retired Professors know the positive and negative effects of

retirement on their mental health and social well-being and know how the retired professors

of Laguna State Polytechnic University Los Baños cope up after retirement and if it will
 7

lead to generativity or stagnation. This may also help them know more about some

psychology theories in the middle adulthood stage.

The study may help the Students know more about retirement and the psychosocial

impact of retirement among retired professors in the middle adulthood stage and it can

encourage them to conduct new research studies that uses the qualitative method.

Finally, Future Researchers – may use this study as a reference to guide the future

researchers.

Scope and Limitations

This study covered only the impact of retirement among the selected retired

professors of Laguna State Polytechnic University Los Baños which is a government

owned school.

Assumptions of the study

It can be assumed that they would answer honestly according from their

experiences and how they view life after retirement. Their attitudes are stable and their

answers would help modify the perception of other professors in the middle adulthood

stage towards retirement. It can be assumed that it would benefit professors in the middle

adulthood stage. The researchers would be able to comprehend the data gathered and the

instruments used are genuine forms and sources of data.

 8

Definition of Terms

Psychosocial. It pertains to the combination of psychological and social behaviour of

people. An example is the nature of a study that examines the relationship between a

person's self-image and how he relates to others in a social setting.

Retirement. It refers to the action or fact of leaving one's job and ceasing to work.

Erik Erikson’s Psychosocial Theory. It refers to the theory that is made up of eight stages

from infancy to adulthood. The person experiences a psychosocial crisis which could have

a positive or negative outcome for the development of their personality during each stage.

This is the main theory that will determine where the retired professor will be categorized

either generativity or stagnation.

Generativity. It pertains to being productive, and becoming involved in community

activities and organizations. Success in this stage will lead to the virtue of care. This is one

of the categories in Erikson’s theory that produces a positive outlook in life and the

category that elicits positive impact in the retired professor’s personality.

Stagnation. It refers to the failure to find a way to contribute. These individuals may feel

disconnected or uninvolved with their community and with society as a whole. This is one

of the categories in Erikson’s theory that produces a negative outcome in life.

Wear and Tear Theory of Aging. It pertains to the theory were the cells and tissues have

vital parts that wear out resulting in aging, it refers to their bodies that are wearing out

through age.
 9

Self-image. It pertains to how a person perceives their self., it refers to their current self-

image now that they are retired.

Social Life. It pertains to the piece of a person's time spent doing pleasurable things with

other people. It refers to the way the retired professors socialize.

Lifestyle. It is defined as person’s way of living., it refers to the daily activities done by

the retired professors.

Productive. It refers to having the quality or power of producing especially in abundance.

It refers to their daily activities that produces a positive effect in their personality.

Virtue of care. It pertains to behaviour showing high moral standard of care for people

around. It refers to the virtue that is achieved when the person handled the generativity vs

stagnation stage successfully.

Personality. It pertains to the combination of characteristics or qualities that form an

individual's typical character. It refers to the retired professor’s character that will

experience the psychosocial effects of retirement.

 10

CHAPTER II

REVIEW OF RELATED LITERATURE

This chapter presents numerous related literature and related studies obtained and

collected from different sources that will also support and validate the researcher’s study.

Retirement

According to Nimrod (2007), the transition from middle age to old age represents

retirement. Special attention should be given to the transition process because a successful

adaptation to retirement should be considered as the first step towards successful aging.

The first often major transition faced by the elderly is retirement. Depending on

their attitude toward and reason for retiring, the effects of this transition on physical and

mental health differ from person to person. Most retired individuals have difficulty

adapting to certain aspects of retirement, such as reduced income and altered social role

and entitlements. Because of health problems or job loss some people are forced to retire.

Appropriate preparation for retirement and counseling for retirees and families who

experience difficulties may help. Retirement could help people to give more time for the

things that they haven’t given much time before when they were still working. Retired

individuals tend to enjoy life by travelling, bonding with love ones and doing the things

that they wanted to do before their health starts to fail them (Berkman et al., 2016).
 11

Retirement could enable individuals to spend more time and energy in other valued

roles to provide continuity to their life and support as individuals. Spending time in

mutually enjoyable activities should prevent the boredom and emptiness that often lead to

conflicts in their retirement (Hicks, 2014). At the age of 65, most government employees

opt to retire in the Philippines. This creates a stand-off in terms of position movement and

the accommodation of new entrants. This scenario affects government’s productivity since

studies show that people reaching the age of 50 years old tend to suffer from a decline of

cognitive and physical abilities (Dela Cruz, 2013).

Aging

Age is not just the physiological changes the body goes throughout life. It is also a

product of the social norms and expectations that apply to each stage of life. The wealth of

life experiences that shape whom we become represents age. With medical advancements

that prolong human life, old age has taken on a new meaning in societies with the means

to provide high-quality medical care. However, many aspects of the aging experience also

depend on social class, race, gender, and other social factors (Little & McGivern, 2012).

Some people find the transition of retirement more difficult while some adjust very

well to retirement. In general, those who retire to meaningful activities are more satisfied

than those who retire from a job and have no outside interests. According to experts, those

who feel aged 60 and above carry the so-called "wear and tear" or the normal slowdown of

the human body as an adult (Dela Cruz, 2012).

One of the theories about aging is the wear and tear theory of aging which declares

that the effects of aging are caused by progressive damage to cells and body systems over
 12

time where our bodies "wear out" due to use. Once they wear out, they can no longer

function correctly. The wear and tear theory of aging was first proposed scientifically by a

German biologist named Dr. August Weismann in 1882. Where we simply expect that the

body, as a mechanical system, is going to break down with use over the years. The wear

and tear theory of aging may also be referred to as simple deterioration theory or

fundamental limitation theory (Stibich, 2017).

Psychosocial Theory and Retirement

According to Erik Erikson, personality develops in a series of stages. The impact

of social experience across the whole lifespan are described in Erikson’s theory. How

social interaction and relationships played a role in the development and growth of human

beings are the things that caught Erikson’s interest. Erikson believed people experience a

conflict that serves as a turning point in development. Each stage in Erikson's theory builds

on the preceding stages and paves the way for following periods of development. In

generativity vs stagnation stage of Erik Erikson’s theory, during adulthood, we continue to

build our lives, focusing on our career and family. Those who are successful during this

phase will feel that they are contributing to the world by being active in their home and

community. Those who fail to attain this skill will feel unproductive and uninvolved in the

world. Care is the virtue achieved when this stage is handled successfully. Being proud of

your accomplishments, watching your children grow into adults, and developing a sense of

unity with your life partner are important accomplishments of this stage (Kendra, 2018).

The degree to which retirement positively or negatively impacts on individuals

depends on the degree of importance that they attribute to their role and on whether they
 13

are able to replace that role. If a worker’s role has been central to his/her identity, its loss

may produce negative psychological outcomes such as anxiety, depression, and stress

(Amoah - Mensah & Darkwa, 2016).

When the reasons for retirement go beyond finances; which include qualitative

factors such as relationships, meaningful purpose, leisure patterns and continued growth

opportunities, Psychosocial factors are evident (Guishard, 2015).

In generativity, people share memories, pass on wisdoms and remembrance,

connect with loved ones, and to make some last contributions to the world. These moments

are among life’s most important, for both the dying and those who are going to be left

behind (Moieni, 2015).

Those who are likely to have an easier transition to retirement are those who have

a positive outlook in life, good family relationships, a strong and diversified identity, and

involvement in meaningful activities apart from their job (Osborne, 2012). Financial

pressures and good health are the primary reasons potential retirees remain in the workforce

according to research studies on retirement (Guishard, 2015).

Elderly people’s disposition towards continuity was explained by Atchley in his

Continuity theory. Individuals who wish to retain stability in the same roles they had

engaged in during their life course, even though their progressing in age may inflict some

obstacles in the availability of those roles were asserted in the Continuity Theory. In order

for the elderly to preserve continuity they need to remain involved and active in their life

(Kleiber & Nimrod, 2007).

Retirement may disrupt long-standing friendships and support networks in the

workplace. Indeed, recent reviews suggest that the most frequently cited disadvantage of
 14

retirement is the lack of interaction with co-workers. During the stage of generativty, a

person’s main concerns are career and family. According to Erik Erikson (2018), middle-

aged people tend to be engaged in inventive and important work, and family matters. This

is the stage when people assume bigger responsibilities, and play the role of always being

“in charge.” This is the time that people feel the urge to be productive and make

contributions to the environment. At this time, they fear being inactive and live a

meaningless life (Guishard, 2015).

On studying early retirement decisions, Henkens and Tazelaar found that the

importance of social networks in the workplace contributes to worker evaluations about

the relative attractiveness of continuing to work. This aspect may be particularly important

for unmarried people, or at least for those who cannot rely on extra-work networks, a factor

which increases the fear of social isolation in retirement (Fraccaroli et al., 2010).

Some sink into depression and appear more likely to deepen their depression as

time in retirement increases initially when they experience a void in terms of “what or who

am I now that I am retired?” (Osborne, 2012). According to Osborne (2012), one third of

retirees have poor adjustment styles in retirement because of the strengthened finding of

significant shocks, losses, and adjustments upon entering retirement.

The loss of a work/life structure and the task of building a retirement/life structure

to replace it is the most important psychological challenge resulting from retirement

(Osborne, 2012). There are existing processes of disengagement from a job and an

engagement in a retired life structure (e.g., the continuation of some of the roles of a prior

work life such as recreational activities, changes in domestic roles with a partner, and

spending more time at home. Reported negatives associated with retirement by university
 15

professors: loss of contact with students and colleagues, loneliness, feelings of uselessness,

lack of structure, and concerns about finances” (Hicks, 2014)

Self-Image

What you see in yourself is your self-image. It does not need to reflect reality.

Indeed a person with an eating disorder maybe thin but have a self-image of being fat. A

person's self-image is affected by many factors, such as parental influences, friends, the

media etc. (Hill, 2013).

Most of the elderly doesn’t realize how important they are to their families and the

other people in their lives, leading to a negative self-image. Elderly people who gain a new

perspective about life can lead to positive self-image (Cordero, 2016).

Many seniors don’t realize how important they are to their families and the other

people in their lives, leading to a negative self-image. Older workers who has a positive

self-image see themselves as socially adept and active before retirement, they are likely to

envision themselves having an active social life after retirement (Hicks, 2014).

Elderly people should understand his or her worth, Elderly people has the feeling

of wanting to be appreciated, accomplishing their goals in life helps to make them satisfied

and have a sense of purpose and importance in life. They should not feel to be a burden.

These people should feel that they can do much and can do activities independently and

ask for help when they want to. Doing chores and other activities that can make them feel

productive. Those who also has a solid social support tends to have a positive self-image.

Elderly people who has a good physical health produces a positive self-image. Being

satisfied and fulfilled in the middle adulthood stage helps people to look at themselves with
 16

optimism. Elderly people who realizes that they stay at their best, contributed good values

to the society, invest time in meaningful relationships, knowing that they have a solid social

support and their family are living in a way they wanted helps them to attain a positive self-

image. Those who gets enough sleep, eats well, and gets regular exercise helps them to

have a positive self-image that can also have a positive effect in their personality knowing

that they are living a healthy life despite of the fact that it is difficult for them to remain

healthy in their current stage in life where their body experiences the wear and tear

(Cordero, 2016).

Negative self-image reduces confidence, causes frustration, affects relationships,

affects achievements. A positive self-image can help people to strengthen your personality

to confront any kind of stress with more self-confidence and greater ease (Roy, 2017). A

positive self-image is often directly connected to physical health. While some seniors find

it difficult to remain healthy, it’s important to ensure they stay at their best. Every people

taking care of their loved ones should help them to take medications as prescribed, gets

enough sleep, eats well, and gets regular exercise. If your loved one needs help maintaining

these healthy habits, consider hiring (Cordero, 2016).

Emotional and Psychological aspects

Retiring can cause anxiety. Fears and worries about the future of the individual as

a result of the end of active working life. The fear that usually results from change is

involved in retiring. Anxiety is triggered by numerous factors, including challenges in

mental health. The prospective retiree is afraid of how illness will affect his life and how

to cope with all these give him/her mental and emotional problems. How their family
 17

members and friends will perceive them to be after losing part of their income or a

reduction of income and its impact on the family and friends is a great worry to them.

Searching for truly meaningful engagement in retirement may take longer than expected.

People should make adjustments prior to the transition of retirement to reduce stress and

anxiety. People with solid social supports are the ones who experience the strongest

psychological effects of retirement. Older adults who has great mental health are those who

are engaged in their communities and spend more time with family and friends. And this

is particularly true for retirees, as community participation has added meaning and

importance to one’s mental health once paid work has finished (Osborne, 2012).

According to research, people who are better educated and engage in physical

activities show the smallest declines in mental abilities. In contrast, older adults with

unstimulating lifestyles tend to have great intellectual declines (Hockenbury &

Hockenbury, 2013).

Social Life

People with strong social networks helps them develop a good personality in their

everyday life and when they experience stressful events in their life. Supportive family

members and friends helps the elderly people to perceive them as a strong social support

that gives the elderly a stronger sense of meaning in their lives. Helping the elderly to

develop a caring personality to the people around them. Social support is related also to the

success in their social life; stronger social networks associated with greater improvements

in their life produces a positive effect on their personality. The elderly starts to invest more

in meaningful relationships physically and spiritually. Elderly people who experienced less
 18

satisfaction with their networks show negative effects in their personality. Elderly people

are putting more effort towards being conscientious and dutiful because they are now more

aware of their limited time on Earth due to their diminishing physical, mental, and

emotional health that require more focus and effort. This is also the time where the elderly

are more conscious of risks in their health, more selective with respect to their relationships

and social activities (Carstensen & Charles, 2010).

Productivity

Retired individuals who keeps a busy schedule, having activities that helps them to

become productive tends to be more happy and tends to be more optimistic with their life

after retirement which also helps to have positive effect in the person’s personality. Elderly

people who engaged in productive activities helps them to stay healthy physically and

mentally. Older adults are commonly thought to be “unproductive” as soon as they retire

and began receiving a pension from the social security system. Most older adults go on

with making important contributions to society after they retire. They not only take care of

themselves and take pleasure in life, but also do caring tasks in their own residence and

that of their relatives and friends, caring for and supporting the people close to the older

adult. Caring for family members or relatives, unpaid work done in the community or for

any person or group are one of the productive activities done by a retired individual (Rubin,

2018).

Being active in life reduces risks for certain illnesses that could help affect an

individual’s personality such as diabetes and heart diseases. Regular physical activity
 19

helps to increase blood circulation, regulates metabolism, boosts energy, and improves

mental sharpness and mood that can help to stay productive in life (Kaye, 2013).

Personality

Personality is a characteristic way of thinking, feeling, and behaving. Personality

holds moods, attitudes, and ideas and is most clearly uttered in interactions with other

people. It includes behavioral characteristics, both inherent and acquired, that distinguish

one person from another and that can be observed in people’s relations to the environment

and to the social group. Time value is very important in life. Every people has to respect

and understand the time value. People should understanding the meaning and importance

of life. Every second of our life is precious partly because we are all only allotted a certain

amount of time in our lives, and so we need to make sure every bit of it wisely. Nothing

can stop the flow of time. Time once past cannot be brought back by any means and we

should value each and every second of our life to the things that makes us happy and

content. Such people waste their time and keeps thinking about things that give them

worries and things that are gives temporary joy. Everyone has to do the focus in their

important task of every day, though the future is unseen, man can work hard today to

increase the chance of a better tomorrow. People who used their time properly tend to have

a sense of fulfilment once they leave Earth (Sandeep, 2018).

Positive reciprocity occurs when an action that has a positive effect upon someone

else is reciprocated with an action that has almost equal positive effect upon another. A

simple sample of positive reciprocity is the return of a small favor. If a person does

something for another, takes care of their dog for the weekend as an example, it seems
 20

reasonable and is socially acceptable for the second person to return the favor, perhaps by

returning with a small gift. The reciprocal gift would seem inappropriate, however, if it

were very expensive. People expect small favors to be reciprocated, if at all, by actions that

are approximately equal in value (Suranovic, 2010).

Tolerating something unpleasant for a long period of time generally means

patience. Patient people are not free of frustration rather, they are able to tolerate frustration

without feeling extreme negative emotions or showing common signs of frustration. Many

people seek help to become more patient, particularly when their lives are extremely

stressful or fast-paced. There is some evidence that the distraction-riddled nature of most

workplaces can make it more difficult to be patient. Overwhelming demands can also make

patience more difficult (Radwan, 2016).

Honesty is not just about telling the truth. It’s about being real with yourself and

others about who you are, what you want and what you need to live your most real life.

Honesty promotes openness, empowers us and enables us to develop consistency in how

we present ourselves. Honesty sharpens our perception and allows us to observe everything

around us with clarity (Connors, 2016).

Continuity Theory and Retirement

The theory of Continuity which was made by Robert Atchley back in 1968 helps

describe the psychological development of middle-aged and older individuals, specifically

with regard to retirement. The theory shows that as people gets older they are more likely

to maintain similar patterns of behaviors or lifestyles across time, changing only slowly. In

this, most retirees were effectively adapting to retirement (Cooper & Beehr, 2015).
 21

The theory presents that that older adults continue to do the activities, behaviors,

opinions, beliefs, preferences, and relationships that characterized them in earlier stages of

their lives, They are all an adaptive strategy for managing changes in their physical, social,

and mental status and the life events associated with growing older. Older adults make

decisions that maintain occupations that are highly meaningful and other activities that

characterize their daily routines to sustain their self-concept and lifestyle with the support

of their network of relationships and social roles (Charles & Carstensen, 2010).

Disengagement Theory

Social scientists Elaine Cumming and William Earle Henry created the

disengagement theory of aging. It is notable for being the first social science theory of

aging (Crossman, 2018).

Older adults who has accepted that their abilities will be deteriorating over time as

a result of this deterioration, they begin to lose contact with their societal networks.

Mutual withdrawal or disengagement which inevitably takes place between the

aging person and others can be thought through aging. The process leads to give up some

roles since the aging person drops out of the working field and children move out of the

house. Older people face a reduction of ties since peers start to die off. This process is

formed as removing the individual from a certain amount of standard control, free to

become more individualized and less likely to be easily assimilated into new groupings

(Toepoei, 2012).
 22

Synthesis

According to Nimrod (2007), Retirement should be given special attention because

it is the transition from middle adulthood to old age where a lot of changes may happen

that can affect the retired individual’s personality. Retired individuals should adapt

successfully to the transition process, in order to have a successful life after retirement and

have positive changes.

Erik Erikson’s theory of psychosocial development is the main theory used in the

study. It tells there that every person experiences a crisis that can influence their personality

throughout life on their process of development. The researchers used the category of

generativity vs stagnation on Erikson’s theory of development to know if the retired

professors are having a productive way of living, develop a virtue of care or end up in the

opposite which is stagnation. The literature discussed that most retirees who are living with

a positive outlook in life, good family relationships, a strong identity, and involvement in

meaningful activities apart from their job are the ones who experience easy transition to

retirement.

The review of related literature also discussed that spending time in mutually

enjoyable activities could prevent the boredom and emptiness that often lead to conflicts

in their retirement (Hicks, 2014). Aging is not just a physiological change of people that

people who are getting old experience wear and tear in their bodies which is part of the

Wear and Tear Theory of Aging instead it is also the wealth of life experiences that shape

whom we become that represents age (Little & McGivern, 2012).

Many seniors don’t realize how important they are to their families and the other

people in their lives, leading to a negative self-image. Older workers who has a positive
 23

self-image see themselves as socially adept and active before retirement, they are likely to

envision themselves having an active social life after retirement (Cordero, 2016).

Retirement can produce anxiety which is triggered by numerous factors, including

challenges in mental health.

People who are making adjustments prior to the transition of retirement reduces

stress and anxiety (Osborne, 2012). According to the Continuity theory, retirees maintain

the similar fun and productive activities they are doing earlier in life while in the

Disengagement theory, most retirees withdraw from society because they lose social ties

to those around them, they expect death, and their abilities to engage with others deteriorate

over time.
 24

CHAPTER III

RESEARCH METHODOLOGY

This chapter provides all the necessary information on how the study was

conducted. This includes the research design, research locale, population of the study, data

gathering procedure, and treatment of data.

Research Design

The researchers used a descriptive qualitative research in this study. This shows the

main focus of the study which is the psychosocial impact of retirement among selected

retired professors from Laguna State Polytechnic University Los Baños campus. The

information obtained were based on the thoughts and personal statements of retired

professors through a semi structured interview using a set of questions. Semi structured

interview is where questions and topics are covered in a particular order, but the interviewer

can ask other questions to provide the opportunity for identifying new ways of seeing and

understanding the topic at hand to the participant.

Research Locale

The locale of the study is Laguna State Polytechnic University which is located at

Los Baños, Laguna. Laguna State Polytechnic University Los Baños was a good locale for

this study since the foundation of its education are excellence and innovation. The
 25

university provides a number of retirement benefits support for the professors after

retirement.

The study was conducted in Los Baños because most of the retired teachers

currently reside in the area. Los Baños is also a good place for retired teachers to settle due

to the low cost of living and an eco-friendly environment.

Population of the Study

The participants of the study were retired teachers of the Laguna State Polytechnic

University in Los Baños. By using convenience sampling, the researchers chose the

participants that reside in Los Baños area. The participants who were chosen do not have

major health problems that could affect the validity of their answers and responses. The

participants who were chosen were three part time retired teachers and three retired

teachers from Laguna State Polytechnic University in Los Baños.

The ages of the participants were 60-65 years old, since the retirement age in the

Laguna State Polytechnic University in Los Baños is 60 years old. It falls under the range

of generativity vs stagnation from Erik Erikson’s “Psychosocial Theory of Development.”

Research Instrument

The researchers conducted an interview to collect necessary data from identified

participants that are needed for their research. Semi structured interview questions was

used in gathering the much needed data from the participants. It allows the interviewer to
 26

ask other questions to provide the opportunity for identifying new ways of seeing and

understanding the topic at hand.

The semi-structured interview guide questions were formulated using the 5 main

questions in the statement of the problem in chapter one that will help the researchers know

the factors that influenced generativity or stagnation in Erik Erikson’s psychosocial theory.

The questions that were made are demographic questions, questions about their life after

retirement and perceptions about retirement.

The cellphone’s sound recorder was used to document the conversation. It is also a

good way to respect the participant’s rights to confidentiality and privacy and to enable the

researchers to fully comprehend what the participants are trying to tell and transcribe it

easily. The researchers focused on the individual perspectives of the retired professors to

determine the psychosocial impact of retirement among them and explain their perceptions

about retirement.

Data Gathering Procedure

The researchers first planned on how they will gather the reliable data needed for

their research. The researchers used convenience sampling in choosing their following

participants, where the researchers asked some veteran teachers in their faculty who are the

available retired teachers within the area and where they live in Los Baños. It would be

much easier to interact with the participants who were in a place that is accessible for them.
 27

The researchers provided a letter of consent on the participants before conducting

an interview for the study. They asked the participants if it was fine with them to record

the interview being conducted for the study.

Treatment of Data

After the interview was conducted and the much needed data were gathered, the

researchers listened to the following recordings from the interview, transcribed it and

analyzed the data by reading it comprehensively. The data was sorted based on the four

main questions discussed in chapter one then made a presentation using brief narration

about the participants. The data that was analyzed through thematic analysis which is a

flexible data analysis plan to generate themes from the interview. In order to interpret the

data gathered easily and to come up with an accurate and precise result that helped them to

make a right conclusion.

 28

CHAPTER IV

RESULTS AND DISCUSSIONS

This chapter includes data obtained from the interview the researchers had

conducted regarding on the psychosocial impact of retirement among selected retired

professors in Laguna State Polytechnic University.

Brief Narration of the Participants

Professor A

The first participant is a 64 year old lady who is currently a part time professor in

Laguna State Polytechnic University Los Baños Campus. She started teaching in Laguna

State Polytechnic University Los Baños Campus at the age of 23 and retired at the age of

60. She is already a widow with four children; one of them still lives with her at the age of

39. Two of them have families and all of them have jobs. The highest level of education

she attained was “Completed Academic Requirements in Doctor of Education.”

Her religion is Roman Catholic and her total monthly income as a part time

professor is less than 20,000 pesos. Her ultimate acquisition after she retired was to finally

own the house they were renting for so many years. She also told that she really did saved

a lot of money just to buy the house. According to her, nothing is too intriguing after her

retirement and a change after her retirement was the stress she felt lessened. She can control

her time now which is different from before.

 29

“mayroon na akong sariling manipulation ng oras ko hindi katulad noon na very

structured na dapat 8:00 to 5:00 andito ka.”

English translation

[“I now can manage my own time unlike before, my schedule was very

structured that you should be here from 8:00 to 5:00.”]

According to her, that was the most significant change she had experienced. She

doesn’t worry much about her life because she has achieved her ultimate goal of owning a

house. Her stress was lessened and she can now manage her own time.

She chose to retire because she wants to give more time for her family and the

example she gave was about her eldest brother who was very sick who needs physical

presence from his loved ones. The second reason why she retired was that she had already

accomplished her ultimate goal to finally own a house and property. Her daily activities

now consists of teaching as a part timer, giving more time for her personal interests like

bonding with her 2 grandchildren and family. These things she said states that she’s still

living a productive life and she nurtures a virtue of care because she gives time to care for

the people around her especially for her grandchildren.

According to her, she is satisfied with her life after retirement because her outlook

in life is to be sufficient, where she doesn’t long for a lot of things. According to her, she

needs to work as a part time professor because she is still taking care of her eldest brother

who is turning 93, but she is satisfied with her own personal life. She wants a stress-free

life as she stated that:

 30

“although ine-encourage ako ng mga anak ko na mag try ako ng iba pang uhm..

pagkakakitaan via online. Online business ganon. Sabi ko pag-iisipan ko kasi ayaw

ko ng bumalik sa very stressful situation”.

English translation

[“although my children are encouraging me to try starting an online

business. I told them that I’m going to think about, it because I don’t

want to go back to a very stressful situation.”]

She wants to continue teaching for the next two years of her life because it is one

of the ways on how she can repay the university for what it has done for her over the years

as she stated that

“Ito na yung panahon na nagbabalik..nagbabalik ako ng pasasalamat sa LSPU.”

English Translation

[“This is the time that I return…return the favour to LSPU.”]

Professor B

The second participant is a 63 year old lady who is a retired professor in Laguna

State Polytechnic University Los Baños Campus. She started teaching at Laguna State

Polytechnic University Los Baños Campus at the age of 21 and retired at the age of 60. She

is categorized between generativity and stagnation. She is married with three children, one

of them still lives with her at the age of 22. The eldest currently lives overseas and the other
 31

one lives in Makati. All of them have jobs and can survive on their own for which brings

great sense of fulfillment in her life as she stated.

She also gave us information about the retirement benefits in Laguna State

Polytechnic University Los Baños Campus and the requirements for getting 90% of your

salary as your pension. It requires you to have at least 35 years of service in the university

and at least 60 years old, but if you reach the age of 65 and didn’t meet the 35 years of

service in the university, you will be forced to retire and your pension will be less than 90%

of your salary. There are various retirement plans that can be chosen, she gave us two

examples like the 5 years plan which is giving you a total of your 5 years pension in cash

and after 5 years you will get a monthly pension, and the 18 months plan where you will

be given a 2.5 year worth of pension but within less a year after receiving the 2.5 year

worth of pension you will immediately get a monthly pension benefit.

Her religion is Christian and her total annual income is more than 20,000 pesos.

She owns a big house just a few blocks away from work. According to her, after retirement:

“Sarili mo na yung time mo.”

English Translation

[“You own your time.”]

The changes after her retirement was that she has more time for her family and

herself. She can manage her time now which is different from before as she told that:

“di na ko ulit nakakaranas ng nagmamadali ako.”

 32

English Translation

[“I never experienced being in a hurry anymore.”]

According to her, the most significant change she had experienced was that she

doesn’t worry much about her life because she has successful children and life.

She chose to retire because she’s aware that someday she might not be as healthy

as today, her health will someday decline and before that time comes she wants to enjoy

her time with her family. Her daily activities now are maintaining the cleanliness inside

her house, making sure there are enough supplies and bonding with her family. The

researchers noticed that there are no maids or helper in the house given that the place she

lives in is quite spacious. These things she said states that she’s still living a productive life

and she nurtures a virtue of care because she gives time to care for the people around her.

According to her, she is satisfied with her life after retirement because she is living

comfortably with less worries because all of her children are currently independent and

successful. But she mentioned that none of her children is currently planning to have a

child, she stated that

“Wala lahat, millennials kasi sila eh, ine-enjoy nila ung trabaho nila eh. Kasi gusto

pa nila ma-enjoy yung sahod nila kasi pinag hirapan daw nila yun eh kailangan

gastusin daw nila yun”.

English Translation
 33

[“They don’t have one, they are millennials, they are enjoying their job

and they want to enjoy their income because they worked so hard to earn

that money. That’s why they need to spend it. ”]

The thing that she currently long for is a grandson or a granddaughter. She has no

problem financially given that she only has her pension as funds for daily needs. She

doesn’t have a plan to teach again because:

“ hindi na, sapat na yung oras na laging nasa labas ako. Gusto ko naman sa loob

na lang ako lagi. Haha”.

English Translation:

[ “ No, because my time outside spent is enough, now I want to be inside the house

most of the time. Haha”. ]

Professor C

The third participant is a 64 year old lady who is a part time professor in Laguna

State Polytechnic University Los Baños Campus. She started teaching at Laguna State

Polytechnic University Los Baños Campus at the age of 23 and she retired at the age of 61.

She’s married with three children and two of their children have families already. She is

satisfied with her life after retirement. The highest educational attainment she achieved was

Completed Academic Requirement in Doctor of Education. Her religion is Roman

Catholic. Her monthly pension is more than ₱ 20,000. The most significant change that she

had experienced after retirement was having her own time as she stated that:

“Eh di I have my own time…there was no schedule to follow.”

 34

English Translation

[“I have my own time now…there was no schedule to follow.”]

She retired because she wants to take more time to rest. She came back to teaching

because of boredom and because the university called her as she stated that:

”Noon? Eh gusto ko mag pahinga eh nakakainip…kaya nagbalik ako tyaka

tinawagan kami diyan eh.”

English Translation

[“Before? I just wanted to rest, but I got bored… The reason I returned to

the university as a part-timer because they called and asked me to teach

again.”]

Her daily activities consist of part time teaching, doing household chores and

browsing facebook. She teaches math subjects. Their 200 sqm land property is being rented

by Globe telecom for their cell site. This is where they get their source of income besides

their pension. Her income is sufficient to sustain her needs even though she is helping her

grandchildren. She also stated that she will continue teaching as long as her health will

permit her proving that she really loves to teach and impart knowledge to the youth. The

thing that changed in her teaching was her temper towards her students. She became more

tolerant because students nowadays are unruly, which is different from the old times. She

also stated that teaching brings happiness in her life because it takes her boredom away.

She doesn’t like to participate in outings or to travel around places because she gets tired

easily which is in fact very evident in her age.

 35

She also likes to tell her students to be honest, because the government doesn’t

improve due to dishonest government officials.

Professor D

The fourth participant is a 65 year old lady who is a retired professor in Laguna

State Polytechnic University Los Baños Campus. Professor D started teaching in Laguna

State Polytechnic University Los Baños Campus at the age of 22 and she retired at the age

of 63. She returned after one year to the campus as a part-timer due to the university’s lack

of professors teaching MAPEH subjects. She is a single lady without children. The fourth

participant’s highest educational attainment is Completed Academic Requirements in

Doctor of Education. She is Roman Catholic. She has a monthly income of more than ₱

20,000. Professor D is currently living with her sister. There are four adults including her

and 2 children currently residing in her sister’s house. The most intriguing change she had

experienced after retirement was that she had more time for her personal interests like

traveling in various places. She can now manage her own time unlike during her teaching

days. She also has a lot of time to bond with her family and grandchildren as she stated

that:

“nagpahinga, nagtravel..yun lang nagta-travel ako kasama mga apo ko at kapatid

ko.”

English Translation

[“rest, travel.. that’s all. I just travel with my grandchildren and my sibling.”]
 36

Her daily activity is doing the household chores in their house. She retired because

she wants more time to rest and to enjoy the time that she is now able to control and to

enjoy her pension as she stated that

“To enjoy my life. To enjoy more kasi..kung halimbawa naghintay pa ako ng

talagang retired yung force retirement yun ay 65. Eh di masakit na ang..marami

nang..nasakit. Samantalang if you retired earlier. 62 nagretire ako eh..eh para

hangga’t kaya kase kung..magreretire ka ng marami ng masakit sayo..paano mo pa

maeenjoy yung life mo. Paano ka pa gagala kung masakit na tuhod mo. Marami ng

nasakit. Tapos syempre at the age of 60 above marami ng nasakit. Eh aantayin mo

pa bang na ikaw ay eh nakaupo na lamang..at saka ka pa magreretire. Eh di habang

kaya mo magretire ka na…earlier.”

English Translation

[“To enjoy my life. To enjoy more because…for example if I waited to

retire at the age of 65 which is force retirement then by that time, my body

will be more prone to certain illnesses due to aging. On the other hand, if

you retire earlier.. at 62 I retired already when my body is still strong

because if I don’t want to retire feeling a lot of pain in my body due to

aging. How can you enjoy your life? How can you travel if your knees are

aching. The body experiences a lot of pain. At the age of 60 above the body

experiences a lot of pain eh. Are you still going to wait for the time that

your body is unable to move freely before you retire? So it is better to retire

as early as you can.”]

 37

She is also currently satisfied with her life and she is happy with it. Her income is

enough to sustain their needs and she is not planning to teach again as a part timer.

“Aaah eh sana nga yun na nga eh last ko na nitong sem. Binigyan pa kasi ako ng

subjects kasi wala ngang MAPEH Major.”

English Translation

[“I hope this sem would be the last but they gave me subjects to teach

because there is no MAPEH Major.”]

Professor E

The fifth participant is a 65 year old female who is currently a part time professor

in Laguna State Polytechnic University Los Baños Campus. She retired from teaching at

the age of 63. She still can be categorized between generativity or stagnation category in

Erik Erikson’s theory of psychosocial development because she’s still not above 65. She

is married with one child. Her son lives with her wife in Canlubang and already has a stable

job. The highest level of education she attained is “Master’s Degree in Physical Education.”

She couldn’t focus on studying any further due to her responsibility as the Director of BAO,

but her dedication and efforts resulted in many great things and brought the school more

budget for certain projects that will help the employees and students even in the future.

This made her feel more than satisfied and fulfilled. But her only regret was her last income

proposal before retiring was not approved and was put under the table.
 38

Her religion is Roman Catholic and her total monthly income as a part time

professor is more than 20,000 pesos. According to her, after her retirement she had more

time for her family and God as she said that:

“Nature ng trabaho ko, yung time ko ngayon dini-divert ko sa church.”

English Translation

[“Nature of my job. I divert my time now to the church.”]

A change after her retirement is that the she now can devote her time to serving

God. She chose to retire because she wants more time with her family and spend her

remaining days serving God. The second reason why she retired is that she had done

enough service for the campus. Her daily activities now are going to the church every-day

to serve and bond with her family. These things she said proves that she’s still living a

productive life and a very religious lifestyle.

According to her she is satisfied with her life after retirement because she just

answered with a big yes when the researchers asked her if she was satisfied with it.

According to her, she doesn’t need to work as a part time professor because she’s already

financially stable and she wants to give her remaining time to God. She is also saving up

money and planning for the future of her son. With all the things she said, she can fall

under generativity due to her productive lifestyle.

 39

Professor F

The sixth participant is a 63 year old lady who is currently a part time professor in

Laguna State Polytechnic University Los Baños Campus. She started teaching in Laguna

State Polytechnic University Los Baños Campus at the age of 22 and retired at the age of

60. She still can be categorized between generativity vs stagnation category in Erik

Erikson’s theory of psychosocial development because she’s still not above 65. She is

blessed with two children, one of them still lives with her at the age of 26. The other one

has his own family and both have jobs. The highest level of education she attained was the

“Completed Academic Requirements for Doctor of Education.”

Her religion is Roman Catholic and her monthly income as a part time professor is

less than 20,000 pesos. According to her, the change she noticed is that there was less stress

and more free time as she said that:

“Siguro dahil may edad na rin ako at mas mabilis ako ma stress sa mga bata

ngayon, Mas marami na kong nagagawa sa free time ko ngayon.”

English Translation

“Maybe because I am now old and I begin to feel stress quickly to the children.

There are a lot of things that I am able to do during my free time now.”

She chose to retire because she wants more time with her family and time for

herself, She stated that:

“Mas ok na ko sa ganito na minsan lang ako kailangan sa school, sa family ko

naman mas gugugulin oras ko.”

 40

English Translation

[“I am now okay with this kind of situation where I am rarely needed by the school,

I am going to spend all of my time with my family.”]

The second reason why she retired was that her children already had stable and

independent lives. Her daily activities now are part time teaching, giving more time to her

personal interests like visiting her grandchildren and more time to bond with family. These

things she said states that she’s still living a productive life and she nurtures a virtue of care

because she gives time to care for the people around her, especially her grandchildren.

According to her she is satisfied with her life after retirement because her she has a

stable lifestyle and a stress-free environment. According to her, she needs to work as a part

time professor because she gets bored at home. but she is satisfied with her own personal

life. She wants a stress-free life as she stated that

“Although sinasabi ng asawa ko na wag ka na mag turo lalo’t may edad ka na baka

anong mangyari sayo, i still wanted to continue teaching even as a part timer na

lang, kasi parang parte ko na yung pagtuturo talaga.”

English Translation

[“Although my husband is telling me that I should not teach anymore because my

husband is worried that something might happen to me because of my current age,

I still wanted to continue teaching as a part timer because it feels that teaching is

already a part of my life.”]

 41

Presented are the data gathered

Presented are the gathered data from the interviews that gave answers to questions

in the statement of the problem. This data stated the self-image of the retired professors,

social life and lifestyle of the participants, the factors that influenced the retired professors

to fall under generativity rather than in stagnation and the psychosocial impact on the

personality of the professors.

1. Current self-image of the retired professor

The participants were asked how do they see themselves self after retirement (see

table 1).

Table 1. Self-image of the retired professors according to their answer.

RESPONDENT STATEMENT THEMES

“Oo amin na,finally…yun ang ultimate acquisition ko
nung nag retire ako.Lupa at bahay. Satisfied kasi Accomplished
Professor A
ano..ang..ang…outlook ko naman sa buhay yung in and Satisfied
moderation ay yung sa sufficiency level lang ako.”
Professor B “Very comfortable ako ngayon at fulfilled.” Fulfilled
“Syempre naman Satisfied kasi masaya na ko sa
Satisfied
Professor C narating ko ngayon.. lahat naman ng anak ko may
trabaho na at kaya na buhayin sarili nila”
“Uhm..Happy at least uhm..tanggal stress..yung..hindi
Happy and
Professor D na stressful, hindi ka na yung kumbaga na-pressured na.
stress-free
.gigising ka ng maaga.”

“Yung time ko noon sa school pati weekend doon ko rin

inispend.Dedicated tlga ako sa work ko, Kaya ngayon Satisfied and
Professor E
ang ginawa ko ngayon full time na ako nagseserve sa Religious
simbahan. Kaya enjoy naman ako sa buhay ko ngayon.”

“Mas maluwag na schedule ko at na lessen yung stress

Stress-free,
ko .Satisfied and fulfilled na ako, kasi masaya na ko sa
Professor F satisfied and
achievements ko at sa buhay ko ngaun."
fulfilled