Final answer:
Activity-Related Affect refers to the concept within the activity theory of aging that highlights the importance of activity levels and social involvement for achieving happiness and satisfaction in later life, despite facing criticism for overlooking individual differences and unequal access to opportunities.
Step-by-step explanation:
Activity-Related Affect is a major concept within the activity theory of aging, which suggests that the levels of activity and social involvement are key to happiness and satisfaction in later life. Researchers such as Havinghurst, Neugarten, and Tobin proposed that elderly individuals experience higher levels of well-being when they are active and engaged with their social environment. The theory posits that people need to find replacement roles for those they lose as they age, and staying active can provide those substitutes. However, this theory has faced criticism because it does not account for unequal access to social opportunities and the individual differences in finding fulfillment through social interactions and activities. Reformulations of the theory place emphasis on the importance of informal activities such as hobbies in affecting overall life satisfaction in later years.