Getting better with age: the relationship between age, acceptance, and negative affect
Open accessAbstract
Although aging involves cognitive and physical declines, it is also associated with improved emotional well-being, particularly lower negative affect. However, the relationship between age and global negative affect, versus discrete negative emotions, and the pathways that link age to lower negative affect are not well understood. We hypothesize that 1 important link between age and lower negative affect may be acceptance of negative emotional experiences. The present study examined this hypothesis in a community sample of 21- to 73-year-olds (N = 340) by measuring acceptance and multiple indices of negative affect: trait negative affect, negative experiential and physiological reactivity to a laboratory stress induction, daily experience of negative affect, and trait negative affect 6 months after the initial assessment. Negative affect was measured using a discrete emotions approach whereby anger, anxiety, and sadness were assessed at each time point. Age was associated with increased acceptance as well as lower anger and anxiety (but not sadness) across measurement modalities and time points. Further, acceptance statistically mediated the relationship between age on the one hand and anger and anxiety on the other hand. These results are consistent with the idea that acceptance may be an important pathway in the link between age and lower negative affect. Implications of these results for understanding the nature of age-related decreases in discrete negative emotions are discussed.
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ACT might be especially suitable for older patient populations because it aligns with age-related tendencies to be more accepting towards (negative) emotions and reevaluate personal values.
“ACT might be especially suitable for older patient populations because it aligns with age-related tendencies to be more accepting towards (negative) emotions and reevaluate personal values [20, 21].”
From Cost-effectiveness and cost-utility of an Acceptance and Commitment Therapy intervention vs. a Cognitive Behavioral Therapy intervention for older adults with anxiety symptoms: A randomized controlled trial (2022) · cites this paper as [21]
The ‘Age and Increased Acceptance’ section links older age with greater acceptance of unpleasant emotions, and the Discussion suggests acceptance-based interventions may be particularly viable for some older individuals. The paper does not establish an age-related tendency to reevaluate personal values or assess whether ACT is especially suitable for older patient populations. (LLM, conf=0.87)
Experimental — accuracy not yet measuredSome evidence suggests that in older adults, acceptance is associated with better emotional wellbeing and quality of life.
“Some evidence suggests that in older adults, acceptance is associated with better emotional wellbeing and quality of life [35, 42–44].”
From An Internet-based Acceptance and Commitment Therapy intervention for older adults with anxiety complaints: study protocol for a cluster randomized controlled trial. (2018) · cites this paper as [43]
The Discussion (page not provided) says acceptance may promote emotional well-being in older individuals, and the Concluding Comment links increased acceptance with lower anger and anxiety as people age. The paper does not report an association between acceptance and quality of life; the measures passage describes negative affect, not quality of life. (LLM, conf=0.85)
Experimental — accuracy not yet measuredReorientation on personal values and associated behavior change, present moment awareness, and willingness to experience and accept negative emotions have all been found to increase with age.
“Reorientation on personal values and associated behavior change [27,28], present moment awareness, and willingness to experience and accept negative emotions have all been found to increase with age [29,30].”
From Blended Acceptance and Commitment Therapy Versus Face-to-face Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Older Adults With Anxiety Symptoms in Primary Care: Pragmatic Single-blind Cluster Randomized Trial. (2021) · cites this paper as [30]
The Concluding Comment (page unavailable) reports that acceptance of negative emotional experiences increased with age, supporting the willingness-and-acceptance part attributed to this source. The paper does not report that present-moment awareness increased with age; its use of a mindfulness-skills subscale measured acceptance, not that separate claim. The personal-values clause is cited to other sources [27,28]. (LLM, conf=0.86)
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References 145 · Cited by 153
Research works printed but not linked: 5
- Bromley DB Behavioral gerontology: Central issues in the psychology of aging 1990 New York Wiley
- Clark LA Watson D Ekman P Davidson RJ Distinguishing functional from dysfunctional affective bursts The nature of emotion: Fundamental questions 1994 New York Oxford University Press 131 136
- Frenkel-Brunswik E Neugarten BL Adjustments and reorientation in the course of the life span Middle age and aging 1968 77 84 Chicago University of Chicago Press
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- Authors
- Shallcross, A. J., Ford, B. Q., Floerke, V. A., & Mauss, I. B.
- Affiliations
- University of Denver (US)
- University of California, Berkeley (US)
- University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa (US)
- Venue
- Journal of Personality and Social Psychology
- Published
- 2013-04
- Volume
- 104
- Issue
- 4
- Pages
- 734-749
- ISSN
- 0022-3514 (ISSN-L)
- 1939-1315
- PMC
- PMC3609879
- OpenAlex
- W2103082718
- Cited by
- 153
- References
- 145
- Citations by year
- 2026: 6 · 2025: 14 · 2024: 10 · 2023: 18 · 2022: 13 · 2021: 12 · 2020: 7 · 2019: 13 · 2018: 9 · 2017: 13 · 2016: 14 · 2015: 7 · 2014: 8 · 2013: 9
- FWCI
- 10.63
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Update notices
- correction (2013-09-16)
- Open access
- green
- europepmc.org
- Locations
- Journal of Personality and Social Psychology (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- Europe PMC (PubMed Central) (acceptedVersion)
- PubMed Central (acceptedVersion)
- Funders
- National Institutes of Health (AG031967)
- Topics
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Neuropsychology and Physiological Psychology › Aging and Gerontology Research
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Clinical Psychology › Mindfulness and Compassion Interventions
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Social Psychology › Psychological Well-being and Life Satisfaction
- Keywords
- aging, negative affect, acceptance, emotional well-being, discrete emotions, anger, anxiety, sadness, trait negative affect, stress reactivity, mediation, age differences
- MeSH terms
- Adaptation, Psychological, Adult, Aged, Aging, Anger, Anxiety Disorders, Arousal, Depressive Disorder, Emotions, Female, Galvanic Skin Response, Humans, Life Change Events, Male, Middle Aged, Speech, Young Adult, Anticipation, Psychological
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