Investigators
Mary K. Goldstein (Principal Mentor) - Stanford University
Jeanne Tsai, PhD

Most people say they want to feel good; however, people differ in the good feelings they desire. Whereas some people value excitement states, others value calm states. What accounts for these differences in "ideal affect," or the affective states that people value and want to feel? The investigators for this study predict that age is a primary source of variation in ideal affect. Indeed, preliminary studies suggest that younger adults value excitement states more and calm states less than do older adults, with middle-aged adults falling in between the groups. They also predict that ideal affect influences what people do to feel good and what decisions they make. Therefore, age differences in mood-producing behaviors and decision making may be mediated by ideal affect.

In this study, researchers will use a combination of surveys, experience sampling, and experimental methods to test these hypotheses in samples that vary in terms of age (ranging from 20-80) and ethnicity (European Americans and Chinese Americans). Specifically, they will examine whether: (1) the measure of ideal affect is reliable and valid with middle-age and older adults, (2) there are age differences in ideal affect, (3) ideal affect is related to mood-producing behavior and health-related decision-making, and (4) age differences in mood-producing behavior and health-related decision-making are due to variation in ideal affect. They will also examine whether these findings hold across different ethnic groups. The study findings promise to reveal the role that age-related changes in emotion and cognition play in decision-making and to produce a useful measure of well-being for older adults.

This study is a seed project for the Center on Advancing Decision Making for Aging.

Contact
Sarah Songer

Funding provided by
• National Institute on Aging