title: Situation selection across adulthood: the role of arousal.
abstract: In this study, we investigated age differences in situation selection to understand the role stimulus arousal plays in motivating age differences in this type of emotion regulation. Participants freely selected from a set of affective videos using information about the valence and arousal of each stimulus. There were age differences both in the valence and arousal of selected stimuli. Older adults selected more neutral and low-arousal stimuli while younger adults selected more negative and high-arousal stimuli. We consider these results in light of recent theoretical models and conclude that studies of age differences in emotion regulation must consider both valence and arousal.
authors.affiliation: a Department of Psychology , Northeastern University , Boston , MA , USA.
authors.forename: Molly
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Sands
authors.affiliation: a Department of Psychology , Northeastern University , Boston , MA , USA.
authors.forename: Derek M
authors.initials: DM
authors.lastname: Isaacowitz
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000375:Aging / Q000523:psychology*; D001143:Arousal; D002755:Choice Behavior; D004644:Emotions; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010775:Photic Stimulation; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: Emotion regulation; affect; aging; arousal; situation selection