In this review, we argue that in late adulthood adults adjust their goals at three levels to cope with age-related challenges: At the highest level, they narrow their goal systems by selectively pursuing fewer goals from important life domains that are mutually supportive, by abandoning goals, and by focusing on agency protection. At the mid-level of individual goals, older adults show changes in goal content, goal importance, goal orientation, and goal focus, indicating, for example, a relative increase in intrinsic goals. Finally, but worthy of future investigation, older adults may show adjustments on the level of means and strategies for goal pursuit. Individual differences in such adaptations also contribute to differences in goal commitment, well-being, and psychopathology in late adulthood.

在这篇综述中，我们认为，成年晚期的成年人在三个层面上调整他们的目标，以应对与年龄相关的挑战：在最高层面上，他们通过有选择地从相互支持的重要生活领域追求较少的目标来缩小目标系统，放弃目标，并专注于机构保护。在个人目标的中层，老年人在目标内容、目标重要性、目标导向和目标焦点方面表现出变化，表明内在目标相对增加。最后，但值得未来研究的是，老年人可能会在追求目标的手段和策略层面上表现出调整。这种适应的个体差异也会导致成年后期目标承诺、幸福感和精神病理学的差异。