In a study using qualitative and quantitative indicators to measure adjustment to retirement, it was proposed that people come to understand who they are in relation to the other social objects in their environment, including other persons. The study sample was comprised of 12 retired and 12 nonretired persons, all within about 18 months of their retirement date. Data were collected during interviews with the subjects and with a battery of paper and pencil instruments that measured self concept, significant others, communication networks, the quality and quantity of retirement-related conversations, and expectations for retirement. The results supported the theory that a significant life event, such as retiring, disrupts the long established interactive patterns that transmit information about personal self worth. Both the quantity and quality of interactions influenced individual perceptions of the retirement lifestyle. The size and composition of individual communication networks influenced both attitudes about the self and about retirement. A disquieting finding was that the individuals who were more satisfied with their jobs were less satisfied with retirement, possibly because their self-concepts were more intimately bound to their jobs. (RL)