Final answer:
The theory that suggests successful aging involves focusing on meaningful and important aspects of life is the selective optimization with compensation theory. It involves a process of goal selection, optimization of resources, and compensation for losses encountered during aging.
Step-by-step explanation:
The theory that suggests people who age successfully tend to seek emotional fulfillment by reshaping their lives to concentrate on what they find to be important and meaningful is known as the selective optimization with compensation theory.
This theory, proposed by Baltes and Baltes in 1990, asserts that successful aging involves the interplay of selection, optimization, and compensation. People select certain goals, optimize their resources to achieve these goals, and compensate for losses that occur due to aging. The theory acknowledges that aging brings about a re-prioritization of one's values and aspirations.
Another related theory is the socioemotional selectivity theory by Carstensen, which holds that as individuals get older, their friendship circles may get smaller, yet the relationships tend to be deeper and more fulfilling.
This reflects a narrowing of social contacts to those that are deemed most emotionally satisfying. In addition to these theories, there are others like Erikson's stages of psychosocial development, continuity theory, and activity theory, all of which provide insight into how individuals adapt and find meaning in later stages of life.