Research article summary (published 30 Aug 2009):

Changes in the sensitivity to appetitive and aversive arousal across adulthood.

Full Abstract

In 2 cross-sectional studies, the authors examined age-related differences in the evaluation of emotional stimuli in 2 community samples, with participants ranging in age from young to older adulthood (18-81 years old). Pictures of the International Affective Picture System were used in Study 1, and written verbs were used in Study 2. Participants rated these stimuli along the 2 major affective dimensions of hedonic valence and emotional arousal, thus yielding a 2-dimensional affective space for each participant. Young adults showed the expected pattern of 2 distinct clusters of stimuli in this space, representing increasing pleasantness (appetitive activation) and unpleasantness (aversive activation) with increasing emotional arousal. In contrast, for older adults, emotional valence and arousal ratings were linearly related: Low-arousing stimuli were rated as most pleasant, and high-arousing stimuli were rated as most unpleasant. When regressed on age, these changes revealed a gradual decrease of appetitive activation (i.e., the relationship between pleasure and arousal) across adulthood and a linear increase in aversive activation (i.e., the relationship between displeasure and arousal). These results extend previous work on emotional development, adding information as to the role of emotional intensity for affective experience in different age groups. (c) 2009 APA, all rights reserved.

Author information

Author/s: Keil, Andreas (A); Freund, Alexandra M (AM);

Affiliation: Department of Psychology and NIMH Center for the Study of Emotion & Attention, University of Florida, P.O. Box 112766, Gainesville, FL 32611, USA. akeil(-atsign-)ufl.edu

Journal and publication information

Publication Type: Journal Article; Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

Journal: Psychology and aging (Psychol Aging), published in United States. (Language: eng)

Reference: 2009-Sep; vol 24 (issue 3) : pp 668-80

Dates: Created 2009/09/10; Completed 2009/10/13;

PMID: 19739923, status: MEDLINE (last retrieval date: 10/13/2009, IMS Date: )

Sourced from the National Library of Medicine. Abstract text and other information may be subject to copyright.

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MeSH headings (categories)

This article was linked to the MESH Headings shown below.

Adolescent Adult Aged Aged, 80 and over Aging - psychology Appetitive Behavior Arousal Avoidance Learning Emotions Female Humans

Individuality Male Middle Aged Motivation Pattern Recognition, Visual Personality Inventory - statistics & numerical data Pleasure-Pain Principle Psychometrics Reading Semantics Young Adult

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