Previous studies have found that in American culture high-arousal positive states (HAP) such as excitement are valued more and low-arousal positive states (LAP) such as calm are valued less than they are in Chinese culture. What specific factors account for these differences? The authors predicted that when people and cultures aimed to influence others (i.e., assert personal needs and change others' behaviors to meet those needs), they would value HAP more and LAP less than when they aimed to adjust to others (i.e., suppress personal needs and change their own behaviors to meet others' needs). They test these predictions in 1 survey and 3 experimental studies. The findings suggest that within and across American and Chinese contexts, differences in ideal affect are due to specific interpersonal goals.

The authors examined the impacts of selection, optimization, and compensation (SOC) strategies-elective selection, loss-based selection, optimization, and compensation-on job performance across adulthood. A cross-sectional survey (Study 1, N=355) and a 5-day experience sampling study (Study 2, N=87) were conducted to assess Chinese insurance sales workers' global and momentary employment of SOC strategies at work and compare the effectiveness of these strategies in predicting their job performance. Study 1 revealed that the use of compensation predicted higher performance maintenance among older workers, whereas the use of elective selection contributed positively to sales productivity for both age groups, with stronger association for younger workers. Study 2 demonstrated that the positive impact of SOC strategies on global and momentary measures of job performance differed across tasks with various difficulty levels. When the task was perceived as highly difficult, older workers' greater use of elective selection predicted higher self-rated task performance; however, the positive association was weaker among younger workers. Older workers' greater use of the 4 SOC strategies was positively associated with sales increases when the task was not difficult or moderately difficult, yet the relationship was negative when the task was highly difficult. A reverse pattern was observed among younger workers. This article contributes to the understanding of working adults' psychological adaptation to the process of aging and reveals the moderating role of task difficulty on the association between SOC strategies and performance outcomes.

This study examined age-related emotional responses and coping at the peak and the end of the SARS outbreak in Hong Kong. Three hundred and eighty-five Hong Kong Chinese, aged 18-86 years, rated the extent that they experienced 'shock', 'sadness', 'anger' and 'fear' in the face of SARS. They also completed selected items from Brief COPE (Carver, 1997). The results showed that older adults consistently experienced less anger than did their younger counterparts. Younger adults used more emotion-focused coping than did middle-aged and older adults at the peak of SARS; yet they exhibited the lowest increase in this form of coping throughout the outbreak, such that the age differences had reversed by the end of the outbreak. Findings of this study suggest that older adults may be better at emotional regulation than are their younger counterparts, they react to a crisis with less anger and are better able to adapt their coping strategies to the changing environment.

Technological advancement benefits Internet users with the convenience of social connection and information search. This study aimed at investigating the predictors of Internet use to search for online health information among Chinese older adults. The Technology Acceptance Model (TAM) was applied to examine the predictiveness of perceived ease of use, perceived usefulness, and attitudes toward Internet use on behavioral intention to search for health information online. Ninety-eight Chinese older adults were recruited from an academic institute for older people and community centers. Frequency of Internet use and physical and psychological health were also assessed. Results showed that perceived ease of use and attitudes significantly predicted behavioral intention of Internet use. The potential influences of traditional Chinese values and beliefs in health were also discussed.

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