| |
Centre for Policy on Ageing | |
 | |
|
| Cognitive style predictors of affect change in older adults | | Author(s) | Derek M Isaacowitz, Martin E P Seligman |
| Journal title | International Journal of Aging and Human Development, vol 54, no 3, 2002 |
| Pages | pp 233-253 |
| Keywords | Cognitive processes ; Emotions ; Health [elderly] ; Stress ; Depression ; United States of America. |
| Annotation | The basic tenet of cognitive style approaches to the study of emotion and ageing is that constructs whereby individuals understand their environment may predict who gets happier and sadder over time throughout the life-span, especially in the face of stressful life events. The authors test the ability of various cognitive style individual difference variables to predict changes to affective state over a 6-month period in a baseline sample of 93 community-dwelling older people (mean age 77.34). Based on previous research, it was hypothesised that an optimistic explanatory style would be adaptive except where combined with life stressors, but that dispositional optimism would predict positive affective states regardless of life events. Older people with a more optimistic explanatory style for health/cognitive events actually appeared to develop more depressive symptoms over 6 months of follow-up. However, dispositional optimism and orientation towards the future predicted a better affective profile over time. (RH). |
| Accession Number | CPA-020904213 A |
| Classmark | DA: DL: CC: QNH: ENR: 7T |
Data © Centre for Policy on Ageing |
|
| ...from the Ageinfo database published by Centre for Policy on Ageing. |
| |
|