The impact on mood of verbal reminiscing in later adulthood.
The impact on mood of verbal reminiscing was compared with that of talking about the present or future in a group of thirty-six female participants between the ages of forty-six and eighty-five. Self reports of mood showed a relatively more positive effect of reminiscing and thus support the hypothesis that reminiscence may serve an adaptive function in later life. Participants over sixty-five years of age, however, did not report a different impact on mood than the younger participants, calling into question the age-specific nature of this phenomenon. Potential theoretical explanations and clinical implications of these findings are discussed.
D000223:Adaptation, Psychological; D000367:Age Factors; D000368:Aged; D004644:Emotions; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007406:Interview, Psychological; D008568:Memory; D008875:Middle Aged; D012649:Self Concept; D014705:Verbal Behavior