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Updated: Apr 27, 2026

Validation of a Psychosocial Intervention on Body Image in Older People: An Experimental Design
Published on: May 31, 2021
Middle-aged adults facing skin cancer information: fixation, mood, and behavior
Derek M Isaacowitz1, Julia A Harris1
1Department of Psychology.
Abstract:
Older adults fixate less on negative parts of skin cancer videos than younger adults, leading them to feel better (Isaacowitz & Choi, 2012). We extended this paradigm to middle-aged adults (ages 35-59, n = 63), whose fixation patterns were measured as they viewed skin cancer videos; mood and behavior were also assessed. Middle-aged adults looked even less at the videos than the other age groups, especially at the negative clips. They also reported the best moods but relatively low levels of learning and positive skin cancer behavior. In some cases, middle-aged adults may show larger "age-related positivity effects" than older adults.
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