Emotionally Meaningful Goals in Late Adulthood
2024
Emotionally Meaningful Goals in Late Adulthood
publication
Author Information
Author(s): Fung Nicole, Fung Helene H
Primary Institution: The Chinese University of Hong Kong
Hypothesis
Older adults prioritize present-oriented emotionally meaningful goals over future-oriented goals due to a limited future time perspective.
Conclusion
Older adults tend to value goals that are emotionally meaningful rather than those focused on the future.
Supporting Evidence
- Older adults prioritize present-oriented emotionally meaningful goals over future-oriented goals.
- The most prevalent type of emotionally meaningful goal is the pro-hedonic goal, which favors positivity.
Takeaway
As people get older, they care more about what makes them happy right now instead of what might happen later.
Methodology
Reviewed empirical articles on socioemotional selectivity theory published since 1992.
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)
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