Definition
The Activity Theory is a psychosocial theory of aging that attempts to describe the individual and social life conditions that promote a maximum of satisfaction and happiness while the individuals adapt to the multiple challenges of aging. According to this theory, a positive aging implies preserving, for as much as possible, the activities and attitudes of middle age (Havighurst 1961). It claims that older adults are more likely to age successfully when they remain active, i.e., when they maintain social interactions and embrace productive roles in society (e.g., volunteering, participating in social groups or activities) while simultaneously substituting the roles lost as they became old.
Overview
Development of the Theory
Originally proposed by Robert J. Havighurst and his colleagues in the 1950s and 1960s at the...
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Teles, S., Ribeiro, O. (2019). Activity Theory. In: Gu, D., Dupre, M. (eds) Encyclopedia of Gerontology and Population Aging. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-69892-2_748-1
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-69892-2_748-1
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