Four background papers for a social psychological approach to the continuing education of older-aged (those over 50) persons are provided. In the first paper, "Social Impacts on Aging in American Culture," evidence derived from certain empirical studies is adduced to support a view that external elements--social values and age-norms, status patterns, and gross social system characteristics--produce much of the distinctive behavior and problems of old age. The second paper, "The Educational Plight of Today's Elderly," endeavors to summarize, in a way that escapes the bias of the professional educational view, some recent claims and developments related to the social change and demands of the present era that place special stress on the education of the older person. "Problem Solving and Complex Learning Behavior in Old Age," the third paper, includes a far from exhaustive review of a number of reports and writings about learning "decrement" in aging. The final paper, "Educational Interests of the Elderly as Motives to Seek Out Organized Instruction," concerns studies of the interests of the elderly, with regard to their usefulness to the educational planner. Each of the papers has its own list of references. (Author/DB)