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The positivity bias in aging: Motivation or degradation?
Sandrine Kalenzaga1, Virginie Lamidey1, Anne-Marie Ergis2
1Laboratoire Mémoire et Cognition, INSERM UMR S894, Centre de Psychiatrie et Neurosciences, Université Paris Descartes.
Emotion (Washington, D.C.)
|March 8, 2016
Summary
Older adults show a positivity bias in memory, favoring positive over negative information. This emotional memory enhancement is most evident in those with preserved cognitive function and when memory encoding is not constrained.
Area of Science:
- Cognitive Psychology
- Neuroscience of Aging
- Human Memory
Background:
- The positivity effect in aging, a bias towards remembering positive information, is well-documented but its underlying mechanisms remain debated.
- Theories suggest either motivational factors or cognitive/neural degradation contribute to this phenomenon.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the factors influencing the positivity effect in emotional memory across different age groups and cognitive statuses.
- To compare immediate and delayed emotional memory recall and recognition under varying encoding conditions.
Main Methods:
- Emotional memory performance (recall and recognition) was assessed in young adults, older adults, very old adults, and Alzheimer's disease patients.
- Encoding instructions were manipulated (unconstrained vs. semantic processing) to examine their impact on memory recall after immediate and delayed intervals.
Main Results:
- The positivity bias was more pronounced in individuals with preserved cognitive functions.
- A longer retention delay (delayed recall/recognition) and unconstrained encoding conditions facilitated the positivity effect.
- Alzheimer's disease patients showed a diminished positivity bias.
Conclusions:
- The findings suggest the positivity effect in aging is linked to preserved cognitive abilities rather than solely cognitive degradation.
- While findings align better with motivational perspectives, they do not exclusively support motivation or degradation theories.
- Further research is needed to fully elucidate the complex interplay of factors driving the positivity bias in aging.
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