TitleDaily events are important for age differences in mean and duration for negative affect but not positive affect.
Publication TypeJournal Article
Year of Publication2016
AuthorsCharles, ST, Mogle, J, Urban, EJ, Almeida, DM
JournalPsychol Aging
Volume31
Issue7
Pagination661-671
Date Published2016 Nov
ISSN1939-1498
KeywordsAdult, Affect, Age Factors, Aged, Aged, 80 and over, Aging, Female, Humans, Male, Middle Aged, Time Factors
Abstract

<p>Across midlife and into old age, older adults often report lower levels of negative affect and similar if not higher levels of positive affect than relatively younger adults. Researchers have offered a simple explanation for this result: Age is related to reductions in stressors and increases in pleasurable activities that result in higher levels of well-being. The current study examines subjective reports of emotional experience assessed across 8 days in a large sample of adults (N = 2,022) ranging from 35 to 84 years old. By modeling age differences before and after adjusting for daily positive uplifts and negative stressors, this article assesses the extent to which daily events account for age differences in positive and negative affect reports. Consistent with previous research, the authors found that older age is related to lower mean levels and shorter duration of a negative emotional experience in a model only adjusting for gender, education, and ethnicity. After adjusting for daily events, however, the linear age-related effects were no longer significant. For positive affect, adjusting for daily events did not alter age-related patterns of experiencing higher mean levels and longer positive experience duration, suggesting that other factors underlie age-related increases in positive affect. (PsycINFO Database Record</p>

DOI10.1037/pag0000118
Alternate JournalPsychol Aging
PubMed ID27684103
PubMed Central IDPMC5106305
Grant ListR01 AG042431 / AG / NIA NIH HHS / United States
UL1 TR001425 / TR / NCATS NIH HHS / United States
P01 AG020166 / AG / NIA NIH HHS / United States
R01 AG019239 / AG / NIA NIH HHS / United States
U19 AG051426 / AG / NIA NIH HHS / United States