An Attitudinal Correlate of the Timing of a Major Life Event: The Case of Morale in Widowhood

Timing of the life crisis of widowhood was explored in terms of its long term effect on morale and the implications of this for counselors and educators. Data from a structured interview administered to Anglos, blacks, and Mexican-Americans aged 45 to 75 were analyzed. Age was related in a weak manner to morale among widowed Anglos and Mexican-Americans; these relations remained when the number of years the person had been widowed was controlled. Current availability of widowed peers, rather than the timing of the life event, appeared to be more important for morale among these widowed persons.