aging and mixed emotions: the view from emotion regulation research

Derek M. Isaacowitz(with Kimberly Livingstone and Molly

Sands)Northeastern University

October 2015Mixed Emotions Conference, Ann Arbor

supported by NIA grants R01 AG048731 and R21 AG044961

we don’t study mixed emotional experience per se…

we don’t study mixed emotional experience per se…

but instead focus on mixed emotional environments and their influence on behavior

how do older adults say they feel?

Mroczek & Kolarz, 1998

positive affect negative affect

some older adults can regulate out of bad moods quite rapidly

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Rating Interval

Mood Change Over Time

OA Rapid Regulators N = 17

OA Non-Regulators N = 17

YA Rapid Regulators N = 8

YA Non-Regulators N = 17

Larcom & Isaacowitz, 2009, JG:PS

how do older adults achieve this relatively positive affective experience?

how do older adults achieve this relatively positive affective experience?

we draw on two literatures: 1.socioemotional selectivity theory 2.process model of emotion regulation

these approaches can guide and focus hypothesis-testing about age differences in pathways to feeling good

conceptual framework: why do older adults feel good? SST and positivity effects

(Carstensen & Mikels, 2005)

limited time

perspective

prioritize emotional

goals

positivity in

processing

feeling good

mixed emotional environments

this framework links goals/motivation with information processing, may be relevant for emotion regulation

goals – information processing – emotion regulation links may vary by age

environments with mixed positive and negative stimuli should activate age differences in information processing, and thus in mood

process model of emotion regulation

Situation Selection

Situation Modification

Attentional Deployment

Cognitive Change

Response Modification

(Gross & Thompson, 2007)

process model of emotion regulation

Situation Selection

Situation Modification

Attentional Deployment

Cognitive Change

Response Modification

(Gross & Thompson, 2007)

SST older adults may prefer emotion regulation strategies that rely on more positive information processing

preference vs. effectiveness

Isaacowitz & Blanchard-Fields (2012). Perspectives on Psychological Science.

positivity in attention deployment for emotion regulation?older adults prefer to look more at

positive and less at negative stimuli, and this is effective for some older adults in helping them feel good (see Isaacowitz, 2012 for summary)

today will focus on more recent work testing other regulatory strategies

studying early regulatory strategies

situation selection and situation modification: array of positive and negative (and neutral) information

can also try to manipulate goals and see if goal states change behavior as predicted by SST

situation selection

do older adults choose more positive situations?

some theories (e.g.,SAVI) suggest they should – earlier regulation is easier/better for older adults

Negative

NeutralPositive

affective environment (AE)

situation selection results using AE

first studies: no main effect of age using behavioral

measures (Rovenpor et al., 2014)

no main effect of age using mobile eye tracking (Isaacowitz et al., 2015)

overall, mood tracks choices (choose positive feel better; choose negative feel worse); doesn’t vary by age

recent work: mobile tracking plus mood induction100 younger adults (18-25, Mage =20.26)

100 middle-aged adults (35-59, Mage = 49.18)

100 older adults (60-88, Mage = 70.37)

just view (JV): “Your goal is to choose whatever is interesting to you.”

regulate (Reg): “Your goal is to try to minimize your negative emotions or feelings.”

negative or positive mood induction (music+pictures)

choice results: MAs differ (regardless of mood)

different approach: tv study

tv study: valence

F(2,58) = 13.02, p < .001

*

*

tv study: arousal

F(2, 58) = 3.42, p = .036

* *

age & goals study: situation selection and situation modification70 younger adults (17-24, Mage = 19.26)

76 older adults (60-89, Mage = 70.64)

just view (JV): “Your goal is to choose whatever is interesting to you.”

regulate (Reg): “Your goal is to try to minimize your negative emotions or feelings.”

situation selection: age x goal interaction

Livingstone & Isaacowitz (2015) SPPS

Fast Forward

Positive

Negative

situation modification paradigm

Negative

Negative

Positive

Livingstone & Isaacowitz (2015) SPPS

situation modification: age X valence interaction

Livingstone & Isaacowitz (2015) SPPS

thoughts about mixed emotions

focused on mixed emotion environments (rather than mood as DV); people choose a mix

some environments lead to no age differences in behavior, other environments do: older adults may prefer neutral as well as low-arousal (is neutral more positive for OAs?)

situation modification so far shows more “positivity”

midlife seems critical

concluding thoughts

age differences are likely more pronounced for some aspects of interacting with the environment than others

may be relatively fewer age differences in what people find interesting to engage with, but greater differences in how they engage with it

neutral may be as important as positive/negative; arousal matters

all of this would lead to more nuances in affective experience: people actively create mixed experiences