title: Just change the channel? Studying effects of age on emotion regulation using a TV watching paradigm.
abstract: Older adults are theorized to benefit from proactive forms of emotion regulation that allow them to avoid negative stimuli (Charles, 2010). To test this, we examined choices as a form of emotion regulation. In two studies investigating age differences, participants selected affective stimuli using a cable television interface, while choices and mood were recorded. In lab-based Study 1, older adults spent more time watching neutral channels, but younger adults spent more time watching positive ones. Older adults also watched more low-arousal content, while younger adults watched more high-arousal content. Lagged analyses revealed that younger adults' choices were directed toward increasing positive affect and arousal. Study 2 replicated these findings in a community-based adult lifespan sample at a local museum. These findings suggest that arousal plays an important role in motivating emotion regulation behavior in the context of selections, and this differs by age.
authors.affiliation: Lifespan Emotional Development Laboratory at Northeastern University.
authors.forename: Molly
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Sands
authors.affiliation: Lifespan Emotional Development Laboratory and received his B.A. in Psychology at Brandeis University.
authors.forename: Adam
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Garbacz
authors.affiliation: Psychology at Northeastern University and the Director of the Lifespan Emotional Development Laboratory.
authors.forename: Derek M
authors.initials: DM
authors.lastname: Isaacowitz
keywords: aging; arousal; choice; emotion regulation; situation selection