Is there an age-related positivity effect in visual attention? A comparison of two methodologies.
Research suggests a positivity effect in older adults' memory for emotional material, but the evidence from the attentional domain is mixed. The present study combined 2 methodologies for studying preferences in visual attention, eye tracking, and dot-probe, as younger and older adults viewed synthetic emotional faces. Eye tracking most consistently revealed a positivity effect in older adults' attention, so that older adults showed preferential looking toward happy faces and away from sad faces. Dot-probe results were less robust, but in the same direction. Methodological and theoretical implications for the study of socioemotional aging are discussed.
Isaacowitz
Derek M
DM
Department of Psychology, Brandeis University, Waltham, MA, USA. dmi@brandeis.edu
Wadlinger
Heather A
HA
Goren
Deborah
D
Wilson
Hugh R
HR
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000375:Aging / Q000523:psychology*; D001288:Attention; D002755:Choice Behavior; D004644:Emotions; D005133:Eye Movements; D005149:Facial Expression; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009949:Orientation; D010364:Pattern Recognition, Visual; D011597:Psychomotor Performance; D011930:Reaction Time