Extending ecological affordance theory to late adulthood
Tianxing Zhang1, Arian Rajaeian1, Michael E W Varnum1
1Department of Psychology, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ, USA tzhan238@asu.edu arajaeia@asu.edu mvarnum@asu.edu https://psychology.asu.edu/research/labs/culture-ecology-lab.
The Behavioral and Brain Sciences
|June 2, 2026
Summary
Ecological affordances vary by life stage and sex. This study extends Ko and Neuberg
Area of Science:
- Evolutionary psychology
- Gerontology
- Human behavior
Background:
- Ko and Neuberg's framework posits that ecological affordances are contingent on an individual's life-stage and sex-specific goals.
- This framework has potential applications beyond the initially discussed life stages.
Purpose of the Study:
- To extend Ko and Neuberg's framework to older adults.
- To investigate potential sex-specific variations in ecological affordances within this demographic.
Main Methods:
- Conceptual extension of an existing theoretical framework.
- Application of the framework to the specific context of older adults.
Main Results:
- Older adults may exhibit distinct patterns of between-sex variation in ecological affordances.
- Specific affordances examined include physical violence, pathogen prevalence, and sex-age ratio.
Conclusions:
- The framework's applicability is supported in older adults, highlighting life-stage specific variations.
- Understanding these variations is crucial for gerontological research and public health.
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