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Updated: Aug 1, 2026
11:30
Brain Imaging Investigation of the Neural Correlates of Emotional Autobiographical Recollection
Published on: August 26, 2011
Age and emotional experience during mutual reminiscing
Monisha Pasupathi1, Laura L Carstensen
1Department of Psychology, University of Utah, Salt Lake City 84112, USA. monisha.pasupathi@psych.utah.edu
Psychology and Aging
|October 2, 2003
Summary
Older adults experience more positive emotions when reminiscing about past events, particularly positive ones. This suggests age influences emotional well-being during life review and reminiscence.
Area of Science:
- Psychology
- Gerontology
- Social Psychology
Background:
- Reciprocal reminiscing involves discussing past events with others.
- Previous research suggests reminiscence impacts emotional well-being.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate age-related differences in emotional experiences during reminiscing.
- To compare emotions during reminiscing versus other social activities.
Main Methods:
- Experience-sampling study with 129 adults assessing emotion during mutual reminiscing and other social activities.
- A second study with 132 adults examined emotions during reminiscing about specific positive and negative events.
Main Results:
- Older adults reported increased positive emotion during mutual reminiscing compared to other social activities.
- Age was linked to enhanced emotional experiences, but only when reminiscing about positive events.
Conclusions:
- Findings support socioemotional selectivity theory, indicating older adults may prioritize positive emotional experiences.
- Reminiscence and life review processes are influenced by age and emotional valence of recalled events.
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