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Processing mode and processing contents in older and younger adults’ sunk cost decision-making. CURRENT PSYCHOLOGY 2022. [DOI: 10.1007/s12144-022-03524-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/03/2022]
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2
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Age Differences in the Tradeoff between Proactive and Reactive Cognitive Control in Emotional Information Processing. Brain Sci 2022; 12:brainsci12081043. [PMID: 36009106 PMCID: PMC9406201 DOI: 10.3390/brainsci12081043] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/13/2022] [Revised: 07/22/2022] [Accepted: 08/01/2022] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Greater well-being in older adults stems from more effective emotion regulation strategies, highlighting the role of cognitive control. However, cognitive control involves different subsystems, and it is still unclear whether different subsystems have different effects on different emotional information processing. The Dual Mechanisms of Control (DMC) theory postulates that cognitive control can operate in two distinct modes, namely proactive control (a "proactive" preparatory mode) and reactive control (a "reactive" wait-and-see mode). This study created an emotional AX-CPT task to explore differences in cognitive control tradeoff between youth and older adults when processing emotional information. The results found that youth had significantly higher error rates on the emotional-neutral sequence than older adults regardless of the valence of emotional information; only in the negative condition did older adults have higher error rates on both the sad-sad and neutral-sad sequences than youth; this phenomenon was not found in the positive condition. The study showed that, in emotional information processing, youth preferred proactive control over older adults; in negative information processing, older adults preferred reactive control strategies over youth; in positive information processing, older adults showed a similar cognitive control pattern to youth, and proactive control was enhanced.
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3
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Galkin F, Kochetov K, Keller M, Zhavoronkov A, Etcoff N. Optimizing future well-being with artificial intelligence: self-organizing maps (SOMs) for the identification of islands of emotional stability. Aging (Albany NY) 2022; 14:4935-4958. [PMID: 35723468 PMCID: PMC9271294 DOI: 10.18632/aging.204061] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/05/2022] [Accepted: 04/25/2022] [Indexed: 12/18/2022]
Abstract
In this article, we present a deep learning model of human psychology that can predict one’s current age and future well-being. We used the model to demonstrate that one’s baseline well-being is not the determining factor of future well-being, as posited by hedonic treadmill theory. Further, we have created a 2D map of human psychotypes and identified the regions that are most vulnerable to depression. This map may be used to provide personalized recommendations for maximizing one’s future well-being.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | - Alex Zhavoronkov
- Deep Longevity Limited, Hong Kong.,Insilico Medicine, Hong Kong.,Buck Institute for Research on Aging, Novato, CA 94945, USA
| | - Nancy Etcoff
- Department of Psychiatry, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA
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4
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Chu L, Tsai JL, Fung HH. Association between age and intellectual curiosity: the mediating roles of future time perspective and importance of curiosity. Eur J Ageing 2021; 18:45-53. [PMID: 33746680 PMCID: PMC7925741 DOI: 10.1007/s10433-020-00567-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/24/2022] Open
Abstract
This study aimed to examine the underlying mechanism behind the association of age and intellectual curiosity. Previous studies generally showed a negative association between age and intellectual curiosity. To shed light on this association, we hypothesize that older adults become more selective in where they invest their curiosity compared with younger adults. The present study (N = 857) first examined the association between age and intellectual curiosity and then the mediation roles of future time perspective and perceived importance of curiosity in the association. The moderation effect of culture was also included to test the generalizability of this model across European Americans, Chinese Americans, and Hong Kong Chinese. The findings suggested that there was a significant negative association between age and intellectual curiosity, even after controlling for sex, culture, and education level. The moderated serial multiple mediation model demonstrated that the indirect effect of age on curiosity through future time perspective and importance of curiosity was significant across all three cultural groups while age did not have a direct effect on intellectual curiosity. This finding suggested that, as future time becomes more limited with age, curiosity is less valued; hence, curiosity is negatively associated with the advance of age. This study illustrates the importance of future time and perceived importance of curiosity in explaining age-related differences in curiosity and sheds light on the situations in which older adults may be as intellectually curious as younger adults.
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Affiliation(s)
- Li Chu
- Department of Psychology, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China
| | - Jeanne L. Tsai
- Department of Psychology, Stanford University, Stanford, CA USA
| | - Helene H. Fung
- Department of Psychology, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China
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5
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Zhang Z, Zhang J, Zhao N, Yang Y. Social Network Size and Subjective Well-Being: The Mediating Role of Future Time Perspective Among Community-Dwelling Retirees. Front Psychol 2019; 10:2590. [PMID: 31803122 PMCID: PMC6873991 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2019.02590] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/11/2019] [Accepted: 10/31/2019] [Indexed: 01/07/2023] Open
Abstract
An accumulating body of literature has confirmed the effect of social networks on the subjective well-being (SWB). However, the relevant mechanism for the relationship between them requires further exploration. This research examined the association between social network size and SWB and the mediating role of future time perspective (FTP) among Chinese retirees. We modeled the relationship between social network size, FTP, and SWB by two sub-studies. SWB was indicated by life satisfaction, positive affect, negative affect, and meaning in life. FTP comprised two dimensions: focusing on opportunity in future and focusing on limitation of time. Study 1 used the number of Spring Festival greeters, and Study 2 used the size of networks based on common actions (discussion, mutual helping, and social participation) as indicators of network size to examine the association and mediating effect among 1097 and 335 community-dwelling retirees, respectively. Both studies revealed that social network size was positively associated with SWB; FTP-opportunity but not FTP-limitation mediated above associations, when possible confounding variables were controlled for. Findings confirm relevance of social networks in the SWB of retirees, and provide a new insight into the role of FTP as an explanatory mechanism.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhen Zhang
- Key Laboratory of Behavioral Sciences, Institute of Psychology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China.,Department of Psychology, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Jianxin Zhang
- Department of Psychology, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China.,Key Laboratory of Mental Health, Institute of Psychology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Na Zhao
- School of Sociology and Psychology, Central University of Finance and Economics, Beijing, China
| | - Yang Yang
- Department of Psychology, Cangzhou Medical College, Cangzhou, China
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6
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Gong X, Seaman KL, Fung HH, Loeckenhoff C, Lang FR. Development and Validation of Social Motivation Questionnaire. THE GERONTOLOGIST 2019; 59:e664-e673. [PMID: 30304521 PMCID: PMC6858828 DOI: 10.1093/geront/gny121] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/04/2018] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES Information-seeking (IS) and emotion-regulatory (ER) motivation play meaningful roles in age-related changes in social interaction across adulthood. This study aimed to develop and validate the Social Motivation Questionnaire (SMQ) to assess these two types of motivation. RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS Ten items were selected from a pool as the candidate items of SMQ and were administered to 480 German adults (20-91 years old) for validation. These items were also administered to 150 U.S. (18-40 years old) and 131 Hong Kong younger adults (18 to 26 years old) for cultural-invariance examination. RESULTS Exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses showed that a two-factor, eight-item structure fits the German adults' data well with satisfactory reliability. Multigroup comparisons showed cross-age invariance among younger, middle-aged, and older German adults, as well as cross-cultural invariance among German, U.S., and Hong Kong younger adults. DISCUSSION AND IMPLICATIONS A new questionnaire, SMQ, was developed and validated to measure IS and ER social motivation across adulthood and across cultures.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xianmin Gong
- Department of Psychology, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR, People’s Republic of China
- Department of Psychology, University of Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Kendra L Seaman
- Center for the Study of Aging and Human Development & Center for Cognitive Neuroscience, Duke University, North Carolina
| | - Helene H Fung
- Department of Psychology, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR, People’s Republic of China
| | | | - Frieder R Lang
- Institute of Psychogerontology, Friedrich-Alexander University of Erlangen-Nürnberg, Germany
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Li T, Tan Y, Gong X, Yin S, Qiu F, Hu X. Future Time Perspective Impacts Gain-Related but Not Loss-Related Intertemporal Choice. Front Psychol 2018; 9:523. [PMID: 29695989 PMCID: PMC5904284 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2018.00523] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/01/2017] [Accepted: 03/27/2018] [Indexed: 11/29/2022] Open
Abstract
Future time perspective (FTP) modulates individuals’ temporal orientation in selecting their motivations and goals, which widely influences their cognitions and behaviors. However, it remains unclear how FTP exactly affects intertemporal choice. To clarify the effect of FTP on intertemporal choice, 90 college students (Mage = 21.70, SD = 1.23) were randomly assigned to the limited FTP condition (16 males, 29 females) and the open-ended FTP condition (17 males, 28 females). In the limited FTP condition, participants were instructed to imagine their states of being 70 years old, whereas in the open-ended FTP condition, they were instructed to describe their current states. All participants then completed a series of intertemporal choice tasks, in which they chose from gain- and loss-related choices occurring at various time points. Results showed that the participants who received the future-imagining manipulation had more limited FTP compared with those who did not receive the manipulation, which confirmed the validity of the FTP manipulation. A 2 (FTP: limited vs. open-ended) × 2 (type of choice: gain vs. loss) repeated measures ANOVA on discount rate revealed a significant interaction between these two factors. The participants in the limited FTP condition had higher discount rates on gain-related choices but showed no difference on loss-related choices compared with the participants under the open-ended FTP condition. The results suggest that limited FTP could lower individuals’ future orientation (i.e., willingness to delay an outcome) on gain-related, but not on loss-related, intertemporal decision-making.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tian Li
- Department of Psychology, Faculty of Education, Hubei University, Wuhan, China
| | - Yuxin Tan
- Department of Psychology, Faculty of Education, Hubei University, Wuhan, China
| | - Xianmin Gong
- Department of Psychology, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shatin, Hong Kong
| | - Shufei Yin
- Department of Psychology, Faculty of Education, Hubei University, Wuhan, China
| | - Fangshu Qiu
- Department of Psychology, Faculty of Education, Hubei University, Wuhan, China
| | - Xue Hu
- Department of Psychology, Faculty of Education, Hubei University, Wuhan, China
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8
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Gärtner LUA, Hertel G. Future Time Perspective in Occupational Teams: Do Older Workers Prefer More Familiar Teams? Front Psychol 2017; 8:1639. [PMID: 29018376 PMCID: PMC5622957 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2017.01639] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/30/2017] [Accepted: 09/06/2017] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Working in teams is quite popular across different industries and cultures. While some of these teams exist for longer time periods, other teams collaborate only for short periods and members switch into new teams after goals are accomplished. However, workers' preferences for joining a new team might vary in different ways. Based on Carstensen's socioemotional selectivity theory, we predict that emotionally meaningful teams are prioritized when occupational future time perspective (OFTP) is perceived as limited. Building and expanding on studies outside of the work context, we expected that older as compared to younger workers prefer more familiar teams, and that this effect is mediated by workers' OFTP. Moreover, we assumed that experimentally manipulated OFTP can change such team preferences. The hypotheses were tested in an online scenario study using three experimental conditions (within-person design). Four hundred and fifty-four workers (57% female, age M = 45.98, SD = 11.46) were asked to choose between a familiar and a new team in three consecutive trials: under an unspecified OFTP (baseline), under an expanded OFTP (amendment of retirement age), and under a restricted OFTP (insolvency of the current company). Whereas the baseline condition was always first, the order of the second and third conditions was randomized among participants. In the baseline condition, results showed the expected mediation effect of workers' OFTP on the relation between workers' age and preference for a familiar over a new team. Higher age was associated with more limited OFTP, which in turn was associated with higher preference for a familiar over a new team. Moreover, experimentally restricting OFTP increased preference for a familiar team over a new team regardless of workers' age, providing further evidence for the assumed causal processes and showing interesting avenues for practical interventions in occupational teams.
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Affiliation(s)
- Laura U. A. Gärtner
- Department of Organizational and Business Psychology, Institute of Psychology, University of Münster, Münster, Germany
| | - Guido Hertel
- Department of Organizational and Business Psychology, Institute of Psychology, University of Münster, Münster, Germany
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9
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Hoppmann CA, Infurna FJ, Ram N, Gerstorf D. Associations Among Individuals' Perceptions of Future Time, Individual Resources, and Subjective Well-Being in Old Age. J Gerontol B Psychol Sci Soc Sci 2017; 72:388-399. [PMID: 26437862 PMCID: PMC4974076 DOI: 10.1093/geronb/gbv063] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/05/2014] [Accepted: 06/21/2015] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
OBJECTIVES Perceptions of future time are of key interest to aging research because of their implications for subjective well-being. Interestingly, perceptions about future time are only moderately associated with age when looking at the second half of life, pointing to a vast heterogeneity in future time perceptions among older adults. We examine associations between future time perceptions, age, and subjective well-being across two studies, including moderations by individual resources. METHOD Using data from the Berlin Aging Study (N = 516; Mage = 85 years), we link one operationalization (subjective nearness to death) and age to subjective well-being. Using Health and Retirement Study data (N = 2,596; Mage = 77 years), we examine associations of another future time perception indicator (subjective future life expectancy) and age with subjective well-being. RESULTS Consistent across studies, perceptions of limited time left were associated with poorer subjective well-being (lower life satisfaction and positive affect; more negative affect and depressive symptoms). Importantly, individual resources moderated future time perception-subjective well-being associations with those of better health exhibiting reduced future time perception-subjective well-being associations. DISCUSSION We discuss our findings in the context of the Model of Strength and Vulnerability Integration.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Nilam Ram
- Department of Human Development and Family Studies, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park
- German Institute for Economic Research (DIW), Berlin, Germany
| | - Denis Gerstorf
- Department of Human Development and Family Studies, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park
- Institute of Psychology, Humboldt University, Berlin, Germany
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10
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Rutt JL, Löckenhoff CE. Age Patterns in Mental Representations of Time: Underlying Constructs and Relevant Covariates. Exp Aging Res 2017; 42:289-306. [PMID: 27070047 DOI: 10.1080/0361073x.2016.1156975] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/21/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND/STUDY CONTEXT Research suggests that mental representations of time encompass multiple distinct aspects that vary with age, but prior studies rarely assessed more than one aspect of time perception and did not systematically consider relevant covariates. This lack of integration across studies hampers theory building and limits a deeper understanding of underlying constructs. METHODS Five widely used and conceptually distinct measures of time perception (i.e., perceived life position, global future horizons, future orientation and planning, self-continuity, and the temporal extension of episodic future thought) were administered to a demographically stratified adult life-span sample. Theoretically implicated covariates, including cognition, current affect, personality, and subjective health, were also assessed. RESULTS Principle component analyses suggested a four-component solution. Perceived life position and global future horizons formed a single component reflecting subjective life span; the remaining measures each constituted separate components. The life span component and episodic future thought were negatively associated with age, self-continuity was positively associated with age, and future orientation did not vary by age. Among the covariates, mental and physical health showed the most pronounced associations with time perceptions, but the direction of effects varied across components. CONCLUSION Findings suggest that mental representations of time encompass multiple components that show distinct age patterns and associations with covariates. Implications for theory building and practical applications are discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joshua L Rutt
- a Department of Human Development , Cornell University , Ithaca , New York , USA
| | - Corinna E Löckenhoff
- a Department of Human Development , Cornell University , Ithaca , New York , USA
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11
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Liou CL, Shenk D. A Case Study of Exploring Older Chinese Immigrants' Social Support within a Chinese Church Community in the United States. J Cross Cult Gerontol 2016; 31:293-309. [PMID: 27294347 DOI: 10.1007/s10823-016-9292-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
The number of older Chinese immigrants living in the United States is increasing steadily. They are faced with challenges to meet their needs for social support and are unlikely to turn to formal services. This case study utilizes an ecological framework to analyze social support among Chinese immigrants age 65 year and older within a Christian Chinese church community, and to explore the ways in which a Chinese church functions as the source of social support for older Chinese immigrants. Seven months of participant observation and ten face-to-face, in-depth interviews were conducted with 65+ Chinese adults who attended one Chinese church in the Southern United State and included questions concerning patterns of support and personal relationships within the church. Findings revealed that gender, living arrangements, working experiences, ability to drive, and English language skills were related to support the older Chinese immigrants sought, received, and provided. Although the Chinese church can be a viable source of supplementary support, some participants in this study felt the support they received from the church was insufficient, particularly in terms of emotional support. Therefore, suggestions are outlined that may assist Chinese churches to be more proactive in better understanding and providing services that meet the different needs and desires of older Chinese immigrants.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chih-Ling Liou
- Department of Human Development and Family Studies, Kent State University at Stark, 6000 Frank Ave. N.W, North Canton, OH, 44720, USA.
| | - Dena Shenk
- Department of Anthropology, University of North Carolina at Charlotte, Charlotte, NC, USA
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12
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Hirschmüller S, Egloff B. Positive Emotional Language in the Final Words Spoken Directly Before Execution. Front Psychol 2016; 6:1985. [PMID: 26793135 PMCID: PMC4710806 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2015.01985] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/17/2015] [Accepted: 12/12/2015] [Indexed: 11/22/2022] Open
Abstract
How do individuals emotionally cope with the imminent real-world salience of mortality? DeWall and Baumeister as well as Kashdan and colleagues previously provided support that an increased use of positive emotion words serves as a way to protect and defend against mortality salience of one’s own contemplated death. Although these studies provide important insights into the psychological dynamics of mortality salience, it remains an open question how individuals cope with the immense threat of mortality prior to their imminent actual death. In the present research, we therefore analyzed positivity in the final words spoken immediately before execution by 407 death row inmates in Texas. By using computerized quantitative text analysis as an objective measure of emotional language use, our results showed that the final words contained a significantly higher proportion of positive than negative emotion words. This emotional positivity was significantly higher than (a) positive emotion word usage base rates in spoken and written materials and (b) positive emotional language use with regard to contemplated death and attempted or actual suicide. Additional analyses showed that emotional positivity in final statements was associated with a greater frequency of language use that was indicative of self-references, social orientation, and present-oriented time focus as well as with fewer instances of cognitive-processing, past-oriented, and death-related word use. Taken together, our findings offer new insights into how individuals cope with the imminent real-world salience of mortality.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sarah Hirschmüller
- Department of Psychology, Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz Mainz, Germany
| | - Boris Egloff
- Department of Psychology, Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz Mainz, Germany
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13
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Notthoff N, Carstensen LL. Positive messaging promotes walking in older adults. Psychol Aging 2015; 29:329-341. [PMID: 24956001 DOI: 10.1037/a0036748] [Citation(s) in RCA: 92] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/17/2023]
Abstract
Walking is among the most cost-effective and accessible means of exercise. Mounting evidence suggests that walking may help to maintain physical and cognitive independence in old age by preventing a variety of health problems. However, older Americans fall far short of meeting the daily recommendations for walking. In 2 studies, we examined whether considering older adults' preferential attention to positive information may effectively enhance interventions aimed at promoting walking. In Study 1, we compared the effectiveness of positive, negative, and neutral messages to encourage walking (as measured with pedometers). Older adults who were informed about the benefits of walking walked more than those who were informed about the negative consequences of failing to walk, whereas younger adults were unaffected by framing valence. In Study 2, we examined within-person change in walking in older adults in response to positively- or negatively-framed messages over a 28-day period. Once again, positively-framed messages more effectively promoted walking than negatively-framed messages, and the effect was sustained across the intervention period. Together, these studies suggest that consideration of age-related changes in preferences for positive and negative information may inform the design of effective interventions to promote healthy lifestyles. Future research is needed to examine the mechanisms underlying the greater effectiveness of positively- as opposed to negatively-framed messages and the generalizability of findings to other intervention targets and other subpopulations of older adults.
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von Humboldt S, Leal I, Pimenta F. Does spirituality really matter?: A study on the potential of spirituality for older adult's adjustment to aging. JAPANESE PSYCHOLOGICAL RESEARCH 2013. [DOI: 10.1111/jpr.12033] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/22/2023]
Affiliation(s)
| | - Isabel Leal
- Instituto Superior de Psicologia Aplicada - Instituto Universitário
| | - Filipa Pimenta
- Instituto Superior de Psicologia Aplicada - Instituto Universitário
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15
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Hawkley LC, Gu Y, Luo YJ, Cacioppo JT. The mental representation of social connections: generalizability extended to Beijing adults. PLoS One 2012; 7:e44065. [PMID: 23028486 PMCID: PMC3442957 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0044065] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/14/2012] [Accepted: 07/30/2012] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Social connections are essential for the survival of a social species like humans. People differ in the degree to which they are sensitive to perceived deficits in their social connections, but evidence suggests that they nevertheless construe the nature of their social connections similarly. This construal can be thought of as a mental representation of a multi-faceted social experience. A three-dimensional mental representation has been identified with the UCLA Loneliness Scale and consists of Intimate, Relational, and Collective Connectedness reflecting beliefs about one's individual, dyadic, and collective (group) social value, respectively. Moreover, this mental representation has been replicated with other scales and validated across age, gender, and racial/ethnic lines in U.S. samples. The purpose of this study is to evaluate the extent to which this three-dimensional representation applies to people whose social lives are experienced in a collectivistic rather than individualistic culture. To that end, we used confirmatory factor analyses to assess the fit of the three-dimensional mental structure to data collected from Chinese people living in China. Two hundred sixty-seven young adults (16-25 yrs) and 250 older adults (50-65 yrs) in Beijing completed the revised UCLA Loneliness Scale and demographic and social activity questionnaires. Results revealed adequate fit of the structure to data from young and older Chinese adults. Moreover, the structure exhibited equivalent fit in young and older Chinese adults despite changes in the Chinese culture that exposed these two generations to different cultural experiences. Social activity variables that discriminated among the three dimensions in the Chinese samples corresponded well with variables that discriminated among the three dimensions in the U.S.-based samples, indicating cultural commonalities in the factors predicting dimensions of people's representations of their social connections. Equivalence of the three-dimensional structure is relevant for an understanding of cultural differences in the sources of loneliness and social connectedness.
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Affiliation(s)
- Louise C Hawkley
- Department of Psychology & Center for Cognitive and Social Neuroscience, University of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois, United States of America.
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16
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Kwon Y, Scheibe S, Samanez-Larkin GR, Tsai JL, Carstensen LL. Replicating the positivity effect in picture memory in Koreans: evidence for cross-cultural generalizability. Psychol Aging 2009; 24:748-754. [PMID: 19739932 DOI: 10.1037/a0016054] [Citation(s) in RCA: 39] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/08/2022]
Abstract
Older adults' relatively better memory for positive over negative material (positivity effect) has been widely observed in Western samples. This study examined whether a relative preference for positive over negative material is also observed in older Koreans. Younger and older Korean participants viewed images from the International Affective Picture System (IAPS), were tested for recall and recognition of the images, and rated the images for valence. Cultural differences in the valence ratings of images emerged. Once considered, the relative preference for positive over negative material in memory observed in older Koreans was indistinguishable from that observed previously in older Americans.
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17
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You J, Fung HHL, Isaacowitz DM. Age differences in dispositional optimism: a cross-cultural study. Eur J Ageing 2009; 6:247. [PMID: 28798608 DOI: 10.1007/s10433-009-0130-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 48] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022] Open
Abstract
Testing the hypothesis that individuals develop their personal characteristics according to what their cultures emphasize, this cross-sectional study aimed at investigating how dispositional optimism varied with age among Americans and Hong Kong Chinese. The sample included 84 younger adults and 55 older adults that were equally distributed across the two cultures. Results revealed that older Americans displayed a higher level of dispositional optimism than did younger Americans; whereas older Chinese showed a lower level of dispositional optimism than did their younger counterparts. Findings shed light on the mixed findings on age-related dispositional optimism in the literature.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jin You
- Department of Psychology, Chung Chi College, Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shatin, NT Hong Kong, China
| | - Helene H L Fung
- Department of Psychology, Chung Chi College, Chinese University of Hong Kong, Room 328 Sino Building, Shatin, NT Hong Kong, China
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18
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Tesch-Römer C, von Kondratowitz HJ. Comparative ageing research: a flourishing field in need of theoretical cultivation. Eur J Ageing 2006; 3:155-167. [PMID: 28794760 DOI: 10.1007/s10433-006-0034-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Comparative ageing research is a flourishing field, partly because of European funding in this area. Comparing different societies and cultures seems especially fruitful for the analysis of societal and cultural factors in development over the life course. From a nomothetic perspective, the aim of comparisons is the search for similarities and communalities in different societies and cultures; from an idiographic perspective, researchers are looking for societal and cultural specificity and distinctiveness. However, the potentials of comparative ageing research are not fully realized for the time being. In many cases, there is little theorizing as to whether there should be differences (or similarities) in ageing processes across countries, societies, or cultures. This paper discusses theoretical aims and ambitions of comparative ageing research in general. Comparative theories are sketched which could serve as a basis for comparative ageing research, and ageing theories are discussed which could be modified to be used in comparative research. The rationale of comparative ageing research is described and illustrated through empirical examples. Epistemological and methodological pitfalls (problems of conceptual, operational, functional, and measurement equivalence) are a substantial obstacle to comparative ageing research. Hence, merits and limitations of comparative designs and sampling procedures are considered.
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Affiliation(s)
- Clemens Tesch-Römer
- German Centre of Gerontology, Berlin, Germany.,Deutsches Zentrum für Altersfragen, Manfred-von-Richthofen-Straße 2, 12101 Berlin, Germany
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