aging and mixed emotions: the view from emotion regulation research Derek M. Isaacowitz (with Kimberly Livingstone and Molly Sands) Northeastern University October 2015 Mixed Emotions Conference, Ann Arbor

supported by NIA grants R01 AG and R21 AG044961

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 Larcom & Isaacowitz, 2009, JG:PS

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 Neutral Positive 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 induction 100 younger adults (18-25, M age =20.26) 100 middle-aged adults (35-59, M age = 49.18) 100 older adults (60-88, M age = 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 modification 70 younger adults (17-24, M age = 19.26) 76 older adults (60-89, M age = 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 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