Final answer:
The correct option is c. Socioeconomic status.
The best predictor for successful aging is personal attitude and adaptation, as it influences an individual's ability to maintain happiness and life satisfaction through active engagement or disengagement in societal roles and how they perceive and manage their social relationships.
Step-by-step explanation:
The best predictor of whether disengagement or activity will lead to successful aging is d. Personal attitude and adaptation. Research in gerontology emphasizes that while socioeconomic factors like early retirement status or marital status may have an impact, it is ultimately an individual's attitude towards aging and their ability to adapt to age-related changes that determine their overall well-being in later life.
The active theory posits that maintaining engagement in social activities and a wider range of goals promotes happiness and life satisfaction, such as the example of a retiring professor who scales back but still teaches a few classes. Conversely, disengagement theory suggests that a natural withdrawal from societal roles is expected, yet may lead to fewer reinforcements to conform to social norms, potentially providing a sense of freedom.
Socioemotional selectivity theory further supports the role of attitude by suggesting that while an individual's social circle may become smaller, the emotional closeness of these relationships tends to increase.