Differences Between Adjustment to and Enjoyment of Retirement

ABSTRACT Most research on psychological reactions to retirement considers adjustment as the main dependent variable. This paper suggests that enjoyment of retirement may be another psychological reaction to this phase of life. Differences between adjustment to and enjoyment of retirement for a sample of retired professional men are explored with respect to different phases of retirement. It was found that these two dependent variables are related but somewhat different reactions to retirement. Two independent variables, attitudes toward retirement and family interaction, contribute to both adjustment to and enjoyment of retirement. However, income was a significant predictor of adjustment whereas personality was a significant independent variable for the prediction of enjoyment of retirement. These results suggest that further research should consider other dependent variables in attempting to understand the psychological complexities related to the retirement role.