The examination of one's own role in the history of human life, engaged in by many elderly people, is known as what?

• A. Autobiography
• B. Life course analysis
• C. Retrospective memory
• D. Life review

Answer: (D)

Life review is the process in which older adults reflect on their past, examine their own role in the larger story of life, and think about what it all means. This reflection often leads to a coherent narrative and a sense of meaning or integrity as one ages. It can involve revisiting regrets, resolving unresolved issues, and reframing experiences in a way that provides psychological closure. The concept, rooted in work on aging, is commonly used in reminiscence and therapeutic contexts to support well-being in late life.

This differs from writing an autobiography, which is creating a written record of a person’s life story for others to read; it also differs from retrospective memory, which is simply recalling past events without necessarily integrating them into a larger meaning; and from life course analysis, which is a research approach that examines how earlier life events influence later outcomes.