+ Feelings go up after midlife
- feelings subside after midlife
Older adults use more + words to
describe emotions
Older adults pay less attention to stimuli
Amygdala diminishes in
responsiveness to - stimuli and retains
its responsiveness to +
As the years go by feelings mellow
Highs less high, lows less low
There is stability of well being across the
life span
Adult moods are less extreme but more
enduring
Old age offers less intense joy but greater
contentment and increased spirituality
As we age, life becomes less an emotional
rollercoaster, more like paddling a canoe