Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jun 3, 2026

An Experimental Paradigm for Measuring the Effects of Ageing on Sentence Processing
Published on: October 25, 2019
Decreasing complexity of affective space in older adults lower on cognitive control: affective effects in a
1Department of Psychology, Wayne State University, 5057 Woodward Avenue (7th floor), Detroit, MI 48202, USA. lee.wurm@wayne.edu
Abstract:
Many theoretical accounts predict that as people age, they rely increasingly on affect. At least one account (Dynamic Integration Theory) makes the additional prediction that an accompanying effect of aging is a narrowing of affective space. These predictions were tested in the context of the relatively automatic low-level cognitive process of lexical access (auditory word recognition). Experiment 1 used emotion words and Experiment 2 used nonemotion words. Both experiments provided support for both predictions. Compared to younger adults (ns = 36 and 56), older adults (ns = 36 and 54) showed larger but less complex effects of dimensions of affective connotation. In addition, older adults with more cognitive resources showed a data pattern like that of younger adults, while those with fewer resources did not. Affective effects emerge even in nonaffective contexts. The tight link between affect and cognition is discussed.
Related Concept Videos
The Influence of Cognition on Affect
The Influence of Affect on Cognition
Cognitive Development During Adulthood
Factors Affecting Perception
An illustrative example of a perceptual set is the scenario where an airline pilot told...
Negative and Cognitive Symptoms of Schizophrenia
Negative Symptoms
Negative symptoms of schizophrenia manifest as deficits in normal emotional and behavioral functioning, profoundly impacting daily life. Individuals with schizophrenia often display a flat affect, characterized by a near-total absence of emotional expression,...
Stereotypes, Prejudice, and Discrimination

