Age and information preference: Neutral information sources in decision contexts
Do adults of different ages differ in their focus on positive, negative, or neutral information when making decisions? Some research suggests an increasing preference for attending to and remembering positive over negative information with advancing age (i.e., an age-related positivity effect). Howe...
| Main Authors: | , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Public Library of Science (PLoS)
2022-01-01
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| Series: | PLoS ONE |
| Online Access: | https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC9292105/?tool=EBI |
| _version_ | 1811288211239993344 |
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| author | Joshua L. Rutt Derek M. Isaacowitz Alexandra M. Freund |
| author_facet | Joshua L. Rutt Derek M. Isaacowitz Alexandra M. Freund |
| author_sort | Joshua L. Rutt |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Do adults of different ages differ in their focus on positive, negative, or neutral information when making decisions? Some research suggests an increasing preference for attending to and remembering positive over negative information with advancing age (i.e., an age-related positivity effect). However, these prior studies have largely neglected the potential role of neutral information. The current set of three studies used a multimethod approach, including self-reports (Study 1), eye tracking and choice among faces reflecting negative, neutral, or positive health-related (Study 2) and leisure-related information (Study 3). Gaze results from Studies 2 and 3 as well as self-reports from Study 1 showed a stronger preference for sources of neutral than for positive or negative information regardless of age. Findings also suggest a general preference for decision-relevant information from neutral compared to positive or negative sources. Focusing exclusively on the difference between positive (happy) and negative (angry) faces, results are in line with the age-related positivity effect (i.e., the difference in gaze duration between happy and angry faces was significantly larger for older than for younger adults). These findings underscore the importance of neutral information across age groups. Thus, most research on the positivity effect may be biased in that it does not consider the strong preference for neutral over positive information. |
| first_indexed | 2024-04-13T03:32:01Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-cc35f9ea860e42b6825cb78b3fb3461e |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1932-6203 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-04-13T03:32:01Z |
| publishDate | 2022-01-01 |
| publisher | Public Library of Science (PLoS) |
| record_format | Article |
| series | PLoS ONE |
| spelling | doaj.art-cc35f9ea860e42b6825cb78b3fb3461e2022-12-22T03:04:26ZengPublic Library of Science (PLoS)PLoS ONE1932-62032022-01-01177Age and information preference: Neutral information sources in decision contextsJoshua L. RuttDerek M. IsaacowitzAlexandra M. FreundDo adults of different ages differ in their focus on positive, negative, or neutral information when making decisions? Some research suggests an increasing preference for attending to and remembering positive over negative information with advancing age (i.e., an age-related positivity effect). However, these prior studies have largely neglected the potential role of neutral information. The current set of three studies used a multimethod approach, including self-reports (Study 1), eye tracking and choice among faces reflecting negative, neutral, or positive health-related (Study 2) and leisure-related information (Study 3). Gaze results from Studies 2 and 3 as well as self-reports from Study 1 showed a stronger preference for sources of neutral than for positive or negative information regardless of age. Findings also suggest a general preference for decision-relevant information from neutral compared to positive or negative sources. Focusing exclusively on the difference between positive (happy) and negative (angry) faces, results are in line with the age-related positivity effect (i.e., the difference in gaze duration between happy and angry faces was significantly larger for older than for younger adults). These findings underscore the importance of neutral information across age groups. Thus, most research on the positivity effect may be biased in that it does not consider the strong preference for neutral over positive information.https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC9292105/?tool=EBI |
| spellingShingle | Joshua L. Rutt Derek M. Isaacowitz Alexandra M. Freund Age and information preference: Neutral information sources in decision contexts PLoS ONE |
| title | Age and information preference: Neutral information sources in decision contexts |
| title_full | Age and information preference: Neutral information sources in decision contexts |
| title_fullStr | Age and information preference: Neutral information sources in decision contexts |
| title_full_unstemmed | Age and information preference: Neutral information sources in decision contexts |
| title_short | Age and information preference: Neutral information sources in decision contexts |
| title_sort | age and information preference neutral information sources in decision contexts |
| url | https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC9292105/?tool=EBI |
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