Emotion regulation in old age

2019 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 16H05959
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Young Scientists (A)
• Allocation Type: Single-year Grants
• Research Field: Experimental psychology
• Research Institution: Kochi University of Technology
• Principal Investigator: Sakaki Michiko 高知工科大学, 総合研究所, 客員准教授 (50748671)
• Project Period (FY): 2016-04-01 – 2019-03-31
• Keywords: ポジティビティ効果 / 加齢 / 高齢者 / 感情と記憶 / 脳イメージング

Outline of Final Research Achievements

Aging is typically associated with a range of negative experiences, such as declines in physical functioning. Nevertheless, older adults are more likely to pay attention to and remember positive information than negative information (the positivity effect). Older adults also report better emotional experiences, reduced negative emotions, and improved well-being than do younger adults. However, it has been unclear how older adults can maintain the positivity effect and better emotional experiences across the early and late old age. This project aimed to address this issue by employing laboratory experiments, longitudinal survey studies, the experience sampling, and neuroimaging.

Free Research Field

社会認知神経科学

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

日本を始め，先進諸国で人口の高齢化が急速に進んでいる。例えば，2018年の日本人の平均寿命は，女性が87歳，男性が81歳で，過去最高を記録している。出生数の減少も重なり，65歳以上の人口が総人口に占める割合は30％近くに及ぶ。高齢者の精神的健康を維持することは，身体的健康を維持し，致死率を低めることも明らかにされており，高齢者の精神的健康をいかに維持・向上させるかは喫緊の課題と言えよう。本研究では，高齢者の感情制御や精神的健康に関わる要因を明らかにすることで，いかに国内外の高齢者の生活の質を高めるかに関する示唆を与えるものである。