The COVID-19 pandemic is creating unprecedented, sustained, and unavoidable stress for the entire population, and older people are facing particularly heightened risk of contracting the virus and suffering severe complications, including death. The present study was conducted when the pandemic was spreading exponentially in the United States. To address important theoretical questions about age differences in emotional experience in times of crisis, we surveyed a representative sample of 945 Americans between the ages of 18 and 76 years and assessed the frequency and intensity of a range of positive and negative emotions. We also assessed perceived risk of contagion and complications from the virus, as well as personality, health, and demographic characteristics. Age was associated with relatively greater emotional well-being both when analyses did and did not control for perceived risk and other covariates. The present findings extend previous research about age and emotion by demonstrating that older adults’ relatively better emotional well-being persists even in the face of prolonged stress.

<p>The COVID-19 pandemic is creating unprecedented, sustained, and unavoidable stress for the entire population, with older people facing particularly heightened risk of contracting the virus and suffering severe complications including death. The present study was conducted when the pandemic was spreading exponentially in the United States. To address important theoretical questions about age differences in emotional experience in times of crisis, we surveyed a representative sample of 945 Americans aged 18-76 and assessed the frequency and intensity of a range of positive and negative emotions. We also assessed perceived risk of contagion and complications from the virus, as well as personality, health, and demographic characteristics. Age was associated with relatively greater emotional well-being with and without controlling for perceived risk and other covariates. Findings extend previous research about age and emotion by demonstrating that older adults’ relatively better emotional well-being persists even in the face of prolonged stress.</p><p><br></p><p>Accepted for COVID-19 fast-track publication in Psychological Science.<br></p>

This study suggests higher intensity volunteering may be a particularly important pathway for alleviating loneliness among older adults who have recently become widowed. Results are discussed in light of theory, future research, and potential interventions.

Socioemotional selectivity theory posits that goals change as a function of perceived time-horizons. As people age and time-horizons grow increasingly limited, people prioritize goals realized in the present over goals that will be realized in the distant future. Because goals that are emotionally meaningful are realized in their pursuit SST predicts that such goals will be prioritized by older people. Previous investigators have observed that age is negatively associated with search for information in decision making and attributed the finding to an effort to reduce cognitive load. In the present study, we hypothesized that because time becomes increasingly valued as it grows scarce, decisions about time use will show different patterns. We further hypothesized that age is associated with preference for information about present-oriented, namely emotional, benefits of activities over future-oriented benefits. 262 participants, aged 18-93 years, were presented with a hypothetical scenario inviting them to participate in one of four activities. On a grid containing 12 cells, participants were given the option to review information about activities’ emotionally meaningful and future-oriented benefits. Participants could review as many cells as they wished before indicating their interest in the activity. Across all activities, age was associated with preference for reviewing emotionally meaningful information. Moreover, in this scenario age was associated with reviewing more not less information. Age-related preferences for more information was apparent despite a negative age association with recall-memory, suggesting that cognitive load does not deter information search when decisions align with socioemotional goals.

The present study examined the causal role of time horizons in age differences in worker motivation. Based on socioemotional selectivity theory (SST), we hypothesized that under unspecified time horizons, older workers prefer to engage in emotionally meaningful work activities more so than younger workers. We further hypothesized that when time horizons at work are expanded or limited, age differences are eliminated. We recruited a sample of employees (N = 555) and randomly assigned them to one of three experimental conditions: a no-instruction condition in which time horizons were not specified, an expanded time horizons condition, or a limited horizons condition. We asked participants to choose from among three options for work-related activities: Helping a colleague or a friend, working on a career-advancing project, or working on a project which may take the company in a new direction. Consistent with SST postulates, we found that age was associated with preferences for helping colleagues in the unspecified horizons condition, and that age differences were eliminated when time horizons were extended or limited. As hypothesized, expanding time horizons reduced employees’ likelihood of choosing to help colleagues. Contrary to our hypothesis, limiting time horizons also reduced the likelihood of choosing to help colleagues. Alternative explanations are considered. Findings suggest that age differences in worker motivation are shaped by time horizons and that modification of time horizons can alter work preferences.