Age differences in goals: implications for health promotion.
OBJECTIVE
Socioemotional selectivity theory postulates that, as people age, they prioritize emotionally meaningful goals. This study investigated whether these age differences in goals are reflected in how younger (aged 18-36, n = 111) and older adults (aged 62-86, n = 104) evaluated, remembered information from and were persuaded by health messages.


METHODS
Participants were randomly assigned to read health pamphlets with identical factual information but emphasizing emotional or non-emotional goals.


RESULTS
Findings showed that health messages that emphasized emotional goals, but not those that emphasized future-oriented or neutral goals, were better remembered, were evaluated more positively and led to greater behavioral changes among older adults, but not younger adults.


CONCLUSIONS
These findings suggest that health messages targeting older adults may be more effective if they are framed in ways that emphasize love and caring.
Zhang
Xin
X
Department of Psychology, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China.
Fung
Helene
H
Ching
Bob Ho-hong
BH
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000375:Aging / Q000502:physiology / Q000523:psychology*; D002170:Canada; D002755:Choice Behavior; D005260:Female; D006040:Goals; D015438:Health Behavior; D006293:Health Promotion / Q000379:methods*; D006801:Humans; D033182:Intention; D008297:Male; D011939:Mental Recall; D008875:Middle Aged; D010174:Pamphlets; D010565:Persuasive Communication; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D055815:Young Adult