Interpersonal Focus in the Emotional Autobiographical Memories of Older and Younger Adults

GeroPsych ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 33 (1) ◽  
pp. 3-14 ◽  
Author(s):  
Angelina J. Polsinelli ◽  
Kelly E. Rentscher ◽  
Elizabeth L. Glisky ◽  
Suzanne A. Moseley ◽  
Matthias R. Mehl
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
Text Analysis ◽  
Life Experiences ◽  
Autobiographical Memories ◽  
Younger Adults ◽  
Socioemotional Selectivity ◽  
Word Use ◽  
Social Importance ◽  
High Degree ◽  
Computerized Text Analysis

Abstract. The present study examined the interpersonal focus within autobiographical memories (AMs) of older and younger adults from the perspective of socioemotional selectivity theory (SST). Specifically, we measured interpersonal focus directly through rater codings (relational vs. individual focus) and social word use, and indirectly through personal pronoun use. Forty-five older ( Mage = 76.76) and 25 younger ( Mage = 18.64) adults recalled positive and negative AMs, which were then coded and processed through computerized text analysis software to obtain word-use counts. Consistent with SST, the positive AMs of older adults were more interpersonally focused compared to negative AMs and younger adults. The results suggest that the positive life experiences of older adults tend to be associated with a high degree of social importance and focus on others.

The quality of self, social, and directive memories

2013 ◽  
Vol 37 (5) ◽  
pp. 395-406 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nicole Alea ◽  
Mary Jane Arneaud ◽  
Sideeka Ali
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
Older Adult ◽  
Age Groups ◽  
Social Function ◽  
Autobiographical Memories ◽  
Middle Aged ◽  
Younger Adults ◽  
Directive Function ◽  
Middle Aged Adults

The quality of functional autobiographical memories was examined in young, middle-aged, and older adult Trinidadians ( N = 245). Participants wrote about an event that served a self, social, and directive function, and reported on the memory’s quality (e.g., significance, vividness, valence, etc.). Across age groups, directive memories were the most negative, and social function memories were the most positive. Social function memories were also talked about most. Compared to younger adults, older adults’ functional memories, regardless of the type of function, were positive and talked about often, and middle-aged adults’ memories were significant and vivid. The discussion encourages researchers to continue to simultaneously consider both why humans remember so much of their life, and what they remember when doing so.

Future-Directed Thinking and Its Relationship to Subjective Well-Being in Older Adults

2020 ◽  
pp. 009141501989622
Author(s):  
Holly Corlett ◽  
Andrew K. MacLeod
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Subjective Well Being ◽  
Younger Adults ◽  
Socioemotional Selectivity ◽  
Age Related ◽  
Negative Thoughts ◽  
Time Periods ◽  
Directed Thinking ◽  
Lower Life Satisfaction

Age-related changes in future-directed thinking may be important for well-being. Older and younger adults generated idiographic anticipated experiences for the next week, the next year, and the next 5–10 years, using an adapted fluency measure. Relative to younger adults, older adults maintained a focus on the immediate future but frequency of anticipated events declined for the medium and longer term. The presence of negative thoughts for those two more distant time periods was related to lower life satisfaction in older adults. Content differences in thoughts illustrated the differing concerns of the two groups. The results align broadly with previous findings in the literature on socioemotional selectivity theory.

scholarly journals EFFECTS OF AGE ON CONNECTION TO NATURE AND POSITIVE AFFECT

2019 ◽  
Vol 3 (Supplement_1) ◽  
pp. S278-S278
Author(s):  
Amy Knepple Carney ◽  
Julie Patrick
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
Positive Affect ◽  
Sample Size ◽  
Age Differences ◽  
Age Groups ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Socioemotional Selectivity Theory ◽  
Connection To Nature ◽  
Younger Adults ◽  
Socioemotional Selectivity

Abstract Socioemotional selectivity theory positis that when we feel our time as limited, when a person ages, emotion based goals become a priority (Carstensen, Isaacowitz, & Charles, 1999). Although previous studies have shown that all age groups benefit from a connection to nature (CN; Bisceglia, Perlman, Schaack, & Jenkins, 2009; Han, 2008; Mayer et al., 2009), there have been no studies conducted to determine if there are age differences in CN and how that relation contributes to positive affect. Analyses were conducted with a sample size of 152 participants with an average age of 37.55 years (SD = 15.64; Range 18 -89). Age was significantly positively associated with CN, r(151)=.16, p<.05. Additionally, an ANOVA showed that middle-aged to older adults reporting significantly higher CN than younger adults. The relation of positive affect to age and CN was then examined. In the analysis examining the effects of age and CN on positive affect, the model was significant, F(3, 146)=8.48, p<.05, R2 = .15. Both, CN, and age, uniquely contributed to the variance accounted for on positive affect, although, the interaction of CN and age did not uniquely contribute to the variance. These results may be indicative of socioemotional selectively theory, in that older adults were choosing connection to nature because it fulfilled more emotional activities/goals than the younger adults in the study. Because previous research has all but ignored the association of CN and age and their relation to positive affect, it should be considered in future research.

scholarly journals Web-Based Assessment of the Phenomenology of Autobiographical Memories in Young and Older Adults

2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (5) ◽  
pp. 660
Author(s):  
Manila Vannucci ◽  
Carlo Chiorri ◽  
Laura Favilli
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
Psychometric Properties ◽  
Full Range ◽  
Age Group ◽  
Assessment Methodology ◽  
Autobiographical Memories ◽  
Younger Adults ◽  
Web Based ◽  
Memory Accuracy ◽  
Practical Usefulness

Autobiographical memories (ABMs) produce rich phenomenological experiences. Although few standardized and comprehensive measures of the phenomenology of ABMs have been developed, a web-based assessment of the full range of phenomenological properties is still missing. In the present study, we aimed to fill this gap and tested the psychometric properties of a web-based version of the Assessment of the Phenomenology of Autobiographical Memory (APAM) in a group of young and older adults. Specifically, taking advantage of the flexibility of web-based assessment methodology, we tested the rating consistency of APAM items, asking participants to rate the phenomenology of their ABMs with respect to seven cues, administered in one per day in seven different days. In each session, we also collected ratings of mood and arousal. Using linear mixed modeling (LMM), we could examine whether the phenomenology ratings differed with respect to age group while controlling for sex, age of the memory, arousal, mood, and specificity of the memory. Results revealed an adequate level of consistency of ratings in both young and older adults. Moreover, LMMs revealed a more intense experience of recollection and reliving (i.e., sensory and emotional) and a higher confidence in memory accuracy in older compared to younger adults. The theoretical and practical usefulness of a web-based assessment of the phenomenology of ABMs are discussed.

scholarly journals Understanding the relationship between age and information-seeking in the context of COVID-19

2020 ◽  
Vol 4 (Supplement_1) ◽  
pp. 961-961
Author(s):  
Li Chu ◽  
Theresa Pauly ◽  
Elizabeth Zambrano Garza ◽  
Denis Gerstorf ◽  
Christiane Hoppmann
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
Postsecondary Education ◽  
Information Seeking ◽  
Time Perspective ◽  
Future Time Perspective ◽  
Younger Adults ◽  
Older Adulthood ◽  
Socioemotional Selectivity ◽  
Online Study ◽  
Age Range

Abstract Socioemotional selectivity theory proposes that older adults engage in less information-seeking than younger adults as future time perspective becomes more limited and expansive goals are prioritized less. However, gathering information is crucial in emergencies like the COVID-19 pandemic, especially for older adults, who are particularly vulnerable to the virus. This study aims to better understand the association between age and information-seeking patterns during the current pandemic. Two hundred and sixty-six participants (age range = 18 – 84, Mage = 38.86, female = 77.06%, received postsecondary education = 83.08%, born in Canada = 73.68%) completed an online study between May and August 2020. We found that older age was associated with more information-seeking time (b = .45, SE = .16, p < .001). We then investigated whether perceived worries of getting COVID-19 might provide insights into this association. Findings point to a partial mediation with a significant direct effect (b = .37, SE = .16, p = .02, 95% bootstrap CI=[.07, .68]), a marginally significant indirect effect (b = .08, SE = .04, p = .06, 95% bootstrap CI=[-.003, .18]) and a significant total effect (b = .46, SE = .16, p < .001, 95% bootstrap CI=[.14, .77]). That is, older adults engaged in more information-seeking than younger adults in contexts in which information-seeking was personally relevant as indicated by perceived worries. These findings shed light on key correlates of information-seeking in older adulthood and highlight the importance for government and health organizations to make suitable information accessible for older adults.

scholarly journals Exploring the Effect of Time Horizon Perspective on Persuasion: Focusing on Both Biological and Embodied Aging

2018 ◽  
Vol 10 (12) ◽  
pp. 4375 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ahreem Ahn ◽  
Dongwon Min
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
Time Horizon ◽  
Goal Pursuit ◽  
Relevant Information ◽  
Biological Aging ◽  
Opposite Pattern ◽  
Younger Adults ◽  
Socioemotional Selectivity ◽  
Processing Style ◽  
The Relationship

According to socioemotional selectivity theory (SST), aging influences information processing style depending on the time horizon perspective (THP). In detail, older adults who perceived time as limited prefer emotional to factual messages, whereas younger adults who believed time to be expansive show the opposite pattern. When individuals pursue a specific goal, they tend to process goal-relevant information in more detail, which in turn evaluates factual messages positively. We investigated the moderating effect of goal pursuit on the relationship between biological aging and persuasion in October 2016 (Experiment 1). Results showed that both older and younger adults were more favorable toward factual (vs. emotional) messages when they pursue a goal. Experiment 2, conducted in March 2017, examined whether embodied aging affects persuasion. The results indicated that younger adults with embodied aging did not show a similar persuasion pattern with actual older adults, while embodiment studies demonstrated that younger adults with embodied aging act like older adults. That means that only THP changes the angle leading to processing. In the final experiment, conducted in November 2018, younger adults primed with limited THP preferred emotional to factual messages, which was similar to actual older adults’ responses. Moreover, we showed that emotional attachment mediated the effect of message types on the persuasion of younger adults with limited THP.

scholarly journals Age differences in preferences for emotionally-meaningful versus knowledge-related appeals

2020 ◽  
Vol 0 (0) ◽  
Author(s):  
Margot J. van der Goot ◽  
Nadine Bol ◽  
Julia C. M. van Weert
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
Life Span ◽  
Age Differences ◽  
Grocery Stores ◽  
Socioemotional Selectivity Theory ◽  
Communication Research ◽  
Persuasive Messages ◽  
Younger Adults ◽  
Socioemotional Selectivity ◽  
Cancer Centers

AbstractSocioemotional selectivity theory (SST), an influential life-span theory, suggests that older adults prefer persuasive messages that appeal to emotionally-meaningful goals over messages that appeal to knowledge-related goals, whereas younger adults do not show this preference. A mixed-factorial experiment was conducted to test whether older adults (≥65 years) differ from younger adults (25–45 years) in their preference for emotionally-meaningful appeals over knowledge-related appeals, when appeals are clearly developed in line with SST. For older adults we found the expected preference for emotionally-meaningful appeals for cancer centers but not for grocery stores and travel organizations. As expected, in most cases, younger adults did not show a preference. Implications for SST-based communication research and for practice are discussed.

scholarly journals Age Differences in Preparedness for the Continuation of COVID-19: Important Roles of Social Support

2021 ◽  
Vol 5 (Supplement_1) ◽  
pp. 351-352
Author(s):  
Zhen Cong ◽  
Daan Liang ◽  
Guofeng Cao ◽  
Zhirui Chen
Keyword(s):  
Social Support ◽  
Older Adults ◽  
Age Differences ◽  
Social Relationship ◽  
Life Course Perspective ◽  
Younger Adults ◽  
Socioemotional Selectivity ◽  
Dallas County ◽  
Linear Regressions ◽  
Post Disaster

Abstract This study examined the association between age and preparedness for the continuation of COVID-19. The moderation effects of three types of social support, namely, emotional, financial, and instrumental assistance were also tested. Using a sample of 443 adults in Dallas county which has the most confirmed cases in Texas, results of multiple linear regressions showed that compared to those aged between 18 and 64, older adults aged 65 and reported better preparedness for the continuation of COVID-19. Receiving emotional, financial, and instrumental assistance were respectively more important for older people to get better prepared than for younger adults, which is consistent with the socioemotional selectivity theory. Our findings directed attention to the strengths and resilience of older adults during COVID-19 from a life course perspective and highlighted the importance of social support and social relationship in their post-disaster recovery and ongoing preparedness.

Cognitive Load Affects Speech Motor Performance Differently in Older and Younger Adults

2019 ◽  
Vol 62 (5) ◽  
pp. 1258-1277 ◽  
Author(s):  
Megan K. MacPherson
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
Cognitive Load ◽  
Motor Performance ◽  
Age Groups ◽  
Incongruent Condition ◽  
Sentence Production ◽  
Movement Duration ◽  
Production Task ◽  
Younger Adults ◽  
Speech Motor

PurposeThe aim of this study was to determine the impact of cognitive load imposed by a speech production task on the speech motor performance of healthy older and younger adults. Response inhibition, selective attention, and working memory were the primary cognitive processes of interest.MethodTwelve healthy older and 12 healthy younger adults produced multiple repetitions of 4 sentences containing an embedded Stroop task in 2 cognitive load conditions: congruent and incongruent. The incongruent condition, which required participants to suppress orthographic information to say the font colors in which color words were written, represented an increase in cognitive load relative to the congruent condition in which word text and font color matched. Kinematic measures of articulatory coordination variability and movement duration as well as a behavioral measure of sentence production accuracy were compared between groups and conditions and across 3 sentence segments (pre-, during-, and post-Stroop).ResultsIncreased cognitive load in the incongruent condition was associated with increased articulatory coordination variability and movement duration, compared to the congruent Stroop condition, for both age groups. Overall, the effect of increased cognitive load was greater for older adults than younger adults and was greatest in the portion of the sentence in which cognitive load was manipulated (during-Stroop), followed by the pre-Stroop segment. Sentence production accuracy was reduced for older adults in the incongruent condition.ConclusionsIncreased cognitive load involving response inhibition, selective attention, and working memory processes within a speech production task disrupted both the stability and timing with which speech was produced by both age groups. Older adults' speech motor performance may have been more affected due to age-related changes in cognitive and motoric functions that result in altered motor cognition.

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