• 한국노년학
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• v.32 no.2
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• pp.559-576
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• 2012

This research aims to address the effect of Guided Autobiography(GAB) on ego-integrity, depression and life-satisfaction in the elderly and to investigate psychological changes and experiences on the senior subject. 20 subjects participated weekly autobiography writing sessions in a senior academy in the S city for 13 weeks. In this research, we carried out examination on ego-integrity, depression test, and life-satisfaction survey were performed before and after the writing sessions for a quantitative analysis, which was later investigated through a 'corresponding sample T-test'. Based on the results of the above mentioned tests, the qualitative analysis was conducted through an individual sessions with 5 selected participants. The results of this research are summarized as following. First, ego-integrity showed satisfactorily meaningful difference between pre- and post-GAB writing. The participants recollected the past repent and revisited unresolved issues in their lives. The subjects were able to accept these past misdemeanors and appreciate their lives. GAB indeed helped improving ego-integrity. Second, the hypothesis that GAB writing will help decrease depression was accepted. 2-page weekly writing assignments enabled the participants think of joyful moments in their past, and showed decrease the symptoms of depression. Third, this study revealed that GAB writing improved life- satisfaction. The participants learned to express gratitude and peace in their mind. The happy feeling and optimistic thoughts enhanced their satisfaction of life in turn. In addition, it turned out that the effects of GAB were more drastic in group sessions than in individual writings. Interpersonal interactions in group sessions encouraged the exchange of positive feedback, thereby helping them reflect themselves positively.

• 한국노년학
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• v.31 no.2
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• pp.223-241
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• 2011

The purpose of this research is to analyze the effect of an autobiography writing program as a method of education for older adults. The authors participated in the processes of all 10 sessions of the autobiography writing program as instructors or program assistants at a senior welfare center in Seoul, 2007. Data used for analysis were learners' narrations in class, written autobiographies by learners, and researchers' memo-notes. We analyzed their narrative flows using Haenninen(2000)'s theory of narrative flow and reconstructed their categories of activities as life histories. 'The innen narration' constructed by learners was a spiritual process in which they have imbued their life and living conditions with meaning. The learners reminisced their lives as 'unreflective narration' in the beginning of education. However, as the class went on, they gradually reminisced them as "reflective narration" and finally developed them as 'meta-reflective narration' through the intentional reflection. Likewise, we could interpret the transition of learners into meta-reflecter as the completion of ego-integration. As a conclusion, we found the effects of the autobiography writing education for older adults in educational, social, and psychological aspects.