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Does the relationship between affect complexity and self-esteem differ in young-old and old-old participants?
Ehud Bodner1, Yuval Palgi, Dvir Kaveh
1Inter dis ciplinary Department of Social Sciences and Department of Music, Bar-Ilan University, Ramat-Gan 52900, Israel. Ehud.Bodner@biu.ac.il
Summary
Affect complexity, the interplay of positive and negative emotions, differs between young-old and old-old adults. Higher affect complexity correlates with greater self-esteem in the oldest old, potentially buffering against age-related declines.
Area of Science:
- Psychology
- Gerontology
- Affective Science
Background:
- The relationship between positive affect (PA) and negative affect (NA) may change with age.
- Affect complexity, defined as the independence and co-occurrence of PA and NA, is a key area of inquiry in aging research.
- Self-esteem (SE) is a crucial component of psychological well-being in later life.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate if affect complexity differs between young-old and old-old individuals.
- To examine the relationship between affect complexity and self-esteem in older adults.
Main Methods:
- A sample of 311 participants was divided into young-old (65-79 years) and old-old (80-93 years) groups.
- Positive and Negative Affect Schedule (PANAS) was used to measure PA and NA.
- Self-Esteem Questionnaire (SEQ) measured SE.
Main Results:
- PA and NA showed a weaker, even positive, relationship in older participants.
- Self-esteem was higher in the young-old compared to the old-old group.
- Affect complexity was positively associated with higher SE among the old-old.
Conclusions:
- Affect complexity may buffer the negative impact of declining self-esteem in old age.
- Further research is needed to explore the intrapersonal link between affect complexity and SE in late life.
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