The Convoy Model: Explaining Social Relations From a Multidisciplinary Perspective

Early social relations research, while influential, lacked the combined approach of theoretical grounding and methodological rigor. Nevertheless, previous research findings, especially from anthropology, suggested the importance of social relations in the achievement of positive outcomes. Considering both life span and life course perspectives and grounded in a multidisciplinary perspective, the convoy model was developed to unify and consolidate scattered evidence while at the same time directing future empirical and applied research. Early findings are summarized, current evidence presented, and future directions projected.

The convoy model has provided a useful framework in the study of aging, especially for understanding predictors and consequences of social relations across the life course.