Summary: The social transformation that has been underway globally, as a result of demographic change, gives us a new picture of the population, the significant increase in the number of elderly and the lengthening of the aging process. The characteristics of the elderly currently living in Spain show a reality very different from the social image that has always accompanied with aging. This negative image of biomedical tradition does not correspond with the data reported growth in the number of people living on the aging process in a positive manner and experiences of satisfaction. In this paper examines the theoretical models and research highlights on aging optimal, taking into account the knowledge that lay on aging optimal have their own elderly. From the theoretical review are selected seven variables showed that psychological processes related to optimal aging: the self-perceived health, optimism, life events, maturity, wisdom, integrity and life satisfaction. These are used as independent variables to study their relationship with each other and with the dependent variable of optimal aging. It was selected through nomination two groups of women between 60 and 75 years of the University Program for the Elderly, "Nau Great" and "Senior Classrooms." The first group of women was nominated as best example of aging (n = 68) and the second group without this approach (n = 65). The participants from both groups were treated with a scale that measures reflected in the seven independent variables in addition to the socio-demographic data. The instruments that are included in the battery are: health questionnaire SF-36. English version 1.4 (June
1999) level of satisfaction of Philadelphia (Philadelphia Geriatric Center Morale Scale, PGC; Lawton, 1972), as adapted from Montorio I. (1994) scale of Vital Events (Serra, Gonzalez and Oller, 1989). We used the revised Ruiz MC and Serra, E. (2004), Questionnaire features of the Person Madura. Version autoinforme (CPMR-2, Zacarés and Serra, 2000), questionnaire Wisdom REFPRUD-2 (Pelechano, 2004), an instrument developed for this purpose from factorial analysis of Optimism disposicional - Pesimismo defensive (items factorial analysis of Fernandez and Bermudez , 1999) and integrity (translation of the scale of Ryff (1983) as the adaptation of Zacarés, 2005). The reliability of the instruments was selected appropriately. The main results of the comparison of the two groups by analysis of variance showed that there were only statistically significant differences between groups in satisfaction with life and integrity, but very small. Whereas the two groups as a single (n = 133) were sought relations between the two dimensions, integrity and satisfaction with life remaining. The first model confirms the relationship between the integrity and life satisfaction, self-esteem and sense generative we call tradition generative. The second model reflects the relationship between optimism and satisfaction with life through self-perceived health, in its two key factors, the perception of general health and perceptions of mental health. The integrity and optimism shown in this study as factors relevant to the life satisfaction of elderly people, and involved in positive ways of aging, with variables that can be enhanced through appropriate interventions.
