Exploring Pre-Senior Decision-Making Styles Using the Qualitative Synthesis Method

Japan's population is ageing rapidly, with increasing opportunities for older people to make decisions in all aspects of society, including healthcare, long-term care and the working environment, and there is a need to clarify what factors influence decision-making by older people. Research on decision-making styles in adolescents has revealed the coexistence of rational and maladaptive styles, and the tendency for decision-making styles to differ across developmental stages. Previous studies of older people have mainly focused on those aged 65 and over, with little attention paid to the decision-making processes of the previous generation, from the ages of 50 to 65. Therefore, with the aim of clarifying the decision-making characteristics of the ‘reserve group’ in the intermediate area between old age and adolescence, this study analyses interviews with the reserve group using a qualitative synthesis method.