Age-related differences in emotion recognition ability: A cross-sectional study.

Abstract

Experimental studies indicate that recognition of emotions, particularly negative emotions, decreases with age. However, there is no consensus at which age the decrease in emotion recognition begins, how selective this is to negative emotions, and whether this applies to both facial and vocal expression. In the current cross-sectional study, 607 participants ranging in age from 18 to 84 years (mean age = 32.6 +/- 14.9 years) were asked to recognize emotions expressed either facially or vocally. In general, older participants were found to be less accurate at recognizing emotions, with the most distinctive age difference pertaining to a certain group of negative emotions. Both modalities revealed an age-related decline in the recognition of sadness and -- to a lesser degree -- anger, starting at about 30 years of age. Although age-related differences in the recognition of expression of emotion were not mediated by personality traits, 2 of the Big 5 traits, openness and conscientiousness, made an independent contribution to emotion-recognition performance. Implications of age-related differences in facial and vocal emotion expression and early onset of the selective decrease in emotion recognition are discussed in terms of previous findings and relevant theoretical models.

Emotion recognition and verbal and non-verbal memory changes among older adults: Is decline generalised or modular?

“…This was further supported in the meta-analysis [1] which found that older adults performed significantly worse in the recognition of sad faces. However, intriguingly, another study [6] found that there was a moderate decrease in sadness recognition from the age of 40. It may be that decline in emotion recognition may be a useful early indicator of cognitive decline.…”

“…Although there is some evidence for a lack of age related decrement in surprise recognition this could also indicate a task characteristic. Using a different set of facial stimuli [6], an age related decrement in surprise recognition was found for those aged over 61.…”

“…These results were confirmed by another study in the mid 2000's [5] which also found older adults showed some decrement in the recognition of anger when compared to younger adults. A subsequent metaanalysis [1] in 2008 and a further study [6] reported in 2009, identified older adults were significantly less accurate than younger adults on the recognition of angry faces. These studies provide evidence for an age related decline in anger recognition and there is some evidence that decline is evident in negative emotions more broadly.…”

“…One study [6] found that there was an age related decline in contempt recognition after the age of 61. Due to the paucity of literature that has assessed contempt recognition, it was also assessed in the current study.…”

Situated Language Processing Across the Lifespan: A Review

“…Moreover, older (vs. younger) adults' story interpretations were more elaborate and enriched in meaning as evidenced by their retelling and interpretation of recently read stories (Adams, Smith, Nyquist, & Perlmutter, 1997). But while (linguistic and life) experience increases across the lifespan, processing speed and executive functions among others decline (e.g., Calder et al, 2003;Mill, Allik, Realo, & Valk, 2009). These biological changes might constrain facilitative visual context effects on comprehension, overall and in real time.…”