Impact of Age and Mood on Information Processing

A new study published in the journal Psychology and Aging suggests that the effects of mood on information processing may be impacted by age.

In the study, negative and positive moods were induced in younger and older participants, who were then asked to interpret the actions of others. Older adults were more likely than younger adults to attribute another’s actions to the individual rather than attributing actions to situational factors.

Based upon the results, researchers suggest than older adults are more concerned with suppressing negative emotions than younger adults. Researchers suggest that because attention is focused on regulating negative emotions, older adults have difficulty processing external information.

"It may be the case that older adults in a negative mood state are more motivated to downgrade their negative emotions and, thus, not allocate enough processing time to focus on the details of the situation. So this needs to be taken into consideration when imparting information to older adults,” said Fredda Blanchard-Fields, professor in Georgia Tech’s School of Psychology.

For more information on this study:

Mood Affects Young and Old Differently, Study Finds – Georgia Tech