Affect dynamics across the lifespan: With age, heart rate reacts less strongly, but recovers more slowly from unpleasant emotional situations.

Abstract

We propose that a comprehensive understanding of age differences in affective responses to emotional situations requires the distinction of 2 components of affect dynamics: reactivity, the deviation from a person's baseline, and recovery, the return to this baseline. The present study demonstrates the utility of this approach with a focus on age differences in responses of negative affect and heart rate to an unpleasant emotional situation in 92 participants aged 14 to 83. The emotional situation was elicited with a social-cognitive stress task. Participants' negative affect and heart rate were measured throughout the task. Results showed that heart rate reactivity decreased, but heart rate recovery time increased, with age. In contrast, no significant age differences were observed in either reactivity or recovery for negative affect. These findings confirm that reactivity to, and recovery from, unpleasant emotional situations are distinct components of affect dynamics. They underscore the multidirectional nature of age differences in affective processes.

Age differences in negative emotional responses to daily stressors depend on time since event.

“…Our goal was to test hypotheses extended to SAVI, which uses a generalized conception of negative affect. However, our follow-up tests with separate NA items are partially in line with Wrzus and colleagues’ (2014, 2015) studies using high and low activation NA items. For example, we found that depressed/blue showed reactivity about half the magnitude of the other NA items and a relatively flat recovery profile.…”

Age as double‐edged sword among victims of customer mistreatment: A self‐esteem threat perspective

“…Generally, as people grow older, their emotion regulation performance tends to improve (Doerwald et al, 2016; see also Blanchard-Fields, 2007), and they are less likely to externalize and lash out at interpersonal conflict (Diehl, Coyle, & Labouvie-Vief, 1996;Rook & Charles, 2017). At the same time, people experience more distress as they age when their social needs are not met (Ong, Rothstein, & Uchino, 2012), and their physiological recovery from stress also becomes impaired as biological aging sets in (Wrzus, Müller, Wagner, Lindenberger, & Riediger, 2014). Notably, these respective strengths and vulnerabilities have been documented even among people in their 30s relative to those in their 20s (Diehl et al, 1996;Wrzus et al, 2014).…”

“…At the same time, people experience more distress as they age when their social needs are not met (Ong, Rothstein, & Uchino, 2012), and their physiological recovery from stress also becomes impaired as biological aging sets in (Wrzus, Müller, Wagner, Lindenberger, & Riediger, 2014). Notably, these respective strengths and vulnerabilities have been documented even among people in their 30s relative to those in their 20s (Diehl et al, 1996;Wrzus et al, 2014). Altogether, these strengths and vulnerabilities both influence threat, although at different stages.…”

“…Self-esteem threat is a physiologically aversive feeling (Baumeister et al, 1996;Dickerson, Gruenewald, & Kemeny, 2004;Ford & Collins, 2010) that can become overwhelming for older people who begin to experience losses in physical resources. The vulnerabilities of age also include physiological inflexibilities that slow down the recovery from stress (Wrzus et al, 2014) as well as neurological changes in fluid cognition that make it difficult to inhibit unwanted thoughts and feelings (Craik & Bialystok, 2006). Altogether, these vulnerabilities can render the subjective, visceral feeling of threat especially salient as people age.…”

Selectivity as an emotion regulation strategy: lessons from older adults

“…less contractile strength, lower stroke volume) may impair responsiveness to and recovery from physiologically arousing emotional states. For example, although age differences are not observed in subjective distress, heart rate increases are smaller and recovery takes longer in older compared to younger adults [54]. …”