The DOI matches its Crossref record; 11 of the 11 references it cites were found in a registry or an index.
Meta-analysis of the age-related positivity effect: Age differences in preferences for positive over negative information.
Abstract
In contrast to long-held axioms of old age as a time of "doom and gloom," mounting evidence indicates an age-related positivity effect in attention and memory. However, several studies report inconsistent findings that raise critical questions about the effect's reliability, robustness, and potential moderators. To address these questions, we conducted a systematic meta-analysis of 100 empirical studies of the positivity effect (N = 7,129). Results indicate that the positivity effect is reliable and moderated by theoretically implicated methodological and sample characteristics. The positivity effect is larger in studies that do not constrain (vs. constrain) cognitive processing-reflecting older adults' natural information processing preferences-and in studies incorporating wider (vs. narrower) age comparisons. Analyses indicated that older adults show a significant information processing bias toward positive versus negative information, whereas younger adults show the opposite pattern. We discuss implications of these findings for theoretical perspectives on emotion-cognition interactions across the adult life span and suggest future research directions.
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Cites
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Aging and motivated cognition: the positivity effect in attention and memory
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“The term “positivity effect” refers to an observed age-related increase in the preference for positive over negative information in attention and memory (Carstensen & Mikels, 2005; Mather & Carstensen, 2005).”
BackgroundResultInfluentialSynthesizing standardized mean‐change measures
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Socioemotional Selectivity Theory: The Role of Perceived Endings in Human Motivation
Carstensen, L. L. (2021) · The Gerontologist · doi:10.1093/geront/gnab116 · Cited by 573
Mechanisms of motivation–cognition interaction: challenges and opportunities
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The positivity effect: a negativity bias in youth fades with age
Carstensen, L. L., & DeLiema, M. (2018) · Current Opinion in Behavioral Sciences · doi:10.1016/j.cobeha.2017.07.009 · Cited by 359
Influence of consumer reviews on online purchasing decisions in older and younger adults
von Helversen, B., Abramczuk, K., Kopeć, W., & Nielek, R. (2018) · Decision Support Systems · doi:10.1016/j.dss.2018.05.006 · Cited by 263
Emotional arousal may increase susceptibility to fraud in older and younger adults.
Kircanski, K., Notthoff, N., DeLiema, M., Samanez-Larkin, G. R., Shadel, D., Mottola, G., Carstensen, L. L., & Gotlib, I. H. (2018) · Psychology and Aging · doi:10.1037/pag0000228 · Cited by 120
Metadata
- Authors
- Reed, A. E., Chan, L., & Mikels, J. A.
- Venue
- Psychology and Aging
- Published
- 2014-03
- Volume
- 29
- Issue
- 1
- Pages
- 1-15
- ISSN
- 0882-7974 (ISSN-L)
- 1939-1498
- OpenAlex
- W2332774740
- Cited by
- 767
- References
- 11
- FWCI
- 8.07
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- closed
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