ABSTRACT

As people get older, it is reported that they experience fewernegative emotions. The purpose of this study is to review recentfindings about older adults' emotions based on emotional optimizationand socioemotional selectivity theory. Although the positivity effect inolder adults' attention and memory processing seems to be due tothese characteristics, we should interpretate it in the cultural contextand with respect to cognitive resources. The positivity effect is relatedto emotion regulation which integrates positive and negative emotionsfrom various events of the individual’s past. Finally, it seems thatemotional regulation may very well play a role in quality of life andpsychological well-being of those in old age. Many studies haveshown that older adults who received life review therapy usingautobiographical memory retrieval practice reported fewer depressivesymptoms, less hopelessness, and improved life satisfaction. It isespecially important to recognize how we accept, interpretate, andintegrate negative events into autobiographical memories.