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A link between age, affect, and predictions?

Author

Listed:
  • Sabrina Trapp

    (Macromedia University of Applied Sciences
    Karolinska Institutet)

  • Marc Guitart-Masip

    (Karolinska Institutet
    Karolinska Institutet & Stockholm Health Care Services
    University College London
    Leipzig University)

  • Erich Schröger

    (Karolinska Institutet
    Leipzig University)

Abstract

The prevalence of depressive symptoms decreases from late adolescence to middle age adulthood. Furthermore, despite significant losses in motor and cognitive functioning, overall emotional well-being tends to increase with age, and a bias to positive information has been observed multiple times. Several causes have been discussed for this age-related development, such as improvement in emotion regulation, less regret, and higher socioeconomic status. Here, we explore a further explanation. Our minds host mental models that generate predictions about forthcoming events to successfully interact with our physical and social environment. To keep these models faithful, the difference between the predicted and the actual event, that is, the prediction error, is computed. We argue that prediction errors are attenuated in the middle age and older mind, which, in turn, may translate to less negative affect, lower susceptibility to affective disorders, and possibly, to a bias to positive information. Our proposal is primarily linked to perceptual inferences, but may hold as well for higher-level, cognitive, and emotional forms of error processing.

Suggested Citation

  • Sabrina Trapp & Marc Guitart-Masip & Erich Schröger, 2022. "A link between age, affect, and predictions?," European Journal of Ageing, Springer, vol. 19(4), pages 945-952, December.
    • Handle: RePEc:spr:eujoag:v:19:y:2022:i:4:d:10.1007_s10433-022-00710-5
    DOI: 10.1007/s10433-022-00710-5
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Amy Fiske & Margaret Gatz & Nancy L. Pedersen, 2003. "Depressive Symptoms and Aging: The Effects of Illness and Non-Health-Related Events," The Journals of Gerontology: Series B, The Gerontological Society of America, vol. 58(6), pages 320-328.
    2. Louise H. Phillips & Julie D. Henry & Judith A. Hosie & Alan B. Milne, 2008. "Effective Regulation of the Experience and Expression of Negative Affect in Old Age," The Journals of Gerontology: Series B, The Gerontological Society of America, vol. 63(3), pages 138-145.
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