Kimberly Moore, Jennifer A. Delaney, & Mark R. Dixon (2007).
Using indices of happiness to examine the influence of environmental enhancements for nursing home residents with Alzheimer’s disease.
Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis,
40, 541-544.
The present study extends the growing behavioral literature on indices of
happiness for persons with developmental disabilities to the geriatric population.
Data on indices of emotional affect (i.e., happiness) were collected prior to,
during, and after each resident was exposed to environmental enhancement
activities of various durations. Results showed that every activity improved
each resident’s level of happiness when compared to pre- and postactivity
levels. These outcomes suggest that indexing affect may be as useful for
nursing home residents as it has been for individuals with developmental
disabilities.
DESCRIPTORS: elderly, dementia, gerontology, emotion, private events