Aging and emotional memory: The forgettable nature of negative images for older adults.

Abstract

Two studies examined age differences in recall and recognition memory for positive, negative, and neutral stimuli. In Study 1, younger, middle-aged, and older adults were shown images on a computer screen and, after a distraction task, were asked first to recall as many as they could and then to identify previously shown images from a set of old and new ones. The relative number of negative images compared with positive and neutral images recalled decreased with each successively older age group. Recognition memory showed a similar decrease with age in the relative memory advantage for negative pictures. In Study 2, the largest age differences in recall and recognition accuracy were also for the negative images. Findings are consistent with socioemotional selectivity theory, which posits greater investment in emotion regulation with age.

Media generations and their advertising attitudes and avoidance: a six-country comparison

“…A potential explanation could be that older adults are more negative about 'everything' and therefore also about advertising. However, we do not deem this reasoning convincing because a growing body of psychological research shows that people experience fewer negative emotions as they grow older (e.g., Charles, Mather, and Carstensen 2003;Mather and Carstensen 2005). Because earlier research also showed that older adults had more negative attitudes about advertising than did younger adults (e.g., Alwitt and Prabhaker 1994;Shavitt, Lowrey, and Haefner 1998;Smit and Neijens 2000), we have the impression that it is specifically something in advertising that does not appeal to older adults' tastes.…”

Cognitive bias modification: Induced interpretive biases affect memory.

“…These difficulties in effectively managing negative mood may be an important mechanism by which memory biases affect the maintenance and recurrence of depressive episodes (Nolen-Hoeksema, 2000;Nolen-Hoeksema & Larson, 1999;Roberts, Gilboa, & Gotlib, 1998). Increased accessibility and recall of positive material, on the other hand, is related to higher levels of well-being (Charles et al, 2003). Manipulating biases in memory and interpretation may, thus, affect mood and emotional vulnerability following stressful experiences, potentially reducing the risk for onset and recurrence of emotional disorders.…”

“…Not surprisingly, individual differences in mood-congruent memory and in the accessibility of mood-incongruent material have been proposed to predict the ability to regulate negative mood states (Joormann & Siemer, 2004;Joormann, Siemer, & Gotlib, 2007). In addition, the tendency to recall positive events and forget negative events is associated with higher levels of well-being over the course of one's life (Charles, Mather, & Carstensen, 2003).…”

Age differences in default and reward networks during processing of personally relevant information

“…For example, there is considerable evidence that older adults show an increased sensitivity to emotionally positive information, relative to younger adults' focus on negative information, the so-called "positivity bias" or "positivity effect" (e.g., Carstensen, Fung, & Charles, 2003;Ebner, Riediger, & Lindenberger, 2009;Isaacowitz, Allard, Murphy, & Schlangel, 2009;Mather & Carstensen, 2005). This difference in emotional biases is seen in attention and memory (Charles, Mather, & Carstensen, 2003;Grady, Hongwanishkul, Keightley, Lee, & Hasher, 2007;Spaniol, Voss, & Grady, 2008), and is thought to reflect a difference in motivational goals as the end of life approaches . In addition, there are age differences in reward processing, such that older adults show reductions in learning about rewards relative to younger adults (Bellebaum, Kobza, Thiele, & Daum, 2011;Eppinger, Herbert, & Kray, 2010;Weiler, Bellebaum, & Daum, 2008).…”