Lived experiences of personal growth among the oldest old: narrative evidence

The pragmatist philosophical perspective deems it important to evaluate the experience of personal growth in terms of its practical consequences. Psychological literature has shown decreased levels of personal growth in later life, but less is known about how the oldest old continue or cease to develop themselves. This interdisciplinary study aims to expand the discourse on personal growth by providing narrative examples of how the oldest old cultivate personal growth. We performed a content analysis of Aging Our Way data documenting lived experiences of 30 community-dwelling persons aged 85 and above. We analyzed all of the direct quotes in the text in order to identify themes of personal growth. Although personal growth was not the purpose of the original data collection, we were able to find diverse examples in the narratives where the oldest old shared their everyday experiences of personal growth. We identified four agentic themes and two communal themes as well as subthemes for each. Consistent with a pragmatist view, the oldest old in the study continued to experience self-development and did not stagnate. Our findings provide contextual details to existing psychological measures, and bear practical implications for an anti-ageist agenda and for activities and programs to empower and engage the oldest old.