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Oldies look on the bright side of life
June 19, 2008
Older people are better at finding the good in their daily life events Older people are better at finding the good in their daily life events

Elders are as satisfied with their social lives as younger people despite spending more time alone, according to a study by Queensland University and UNSW researchers.

Published in the June issue of the journal Psychology and Aging, the study compared the social activities and social satisfaction of people aged 66 and 91 to those aged 18 and 30. Younger people were found to have twice as many weekly outings as the older group, who spent twice as much time alone.

Co-author to the study, UNSW's Dr Julie Henry says the finding adds to growing evidence than older people seem better at doing what we all aspire to - looking on the bright side of life.

"Older people seem to have the knack of making the best of social occasions, despite having only half as much social contact as young people," she says.

"The findings suggests that if a young person and an old person have the same experience, the older adult is likely to view it more positively and find it more uplifting than a younger person."

Ageing isn't without it's darker side, however. Older people spend more time alone than the young and engage in fewer social activities.

"Despite these negatives, older people seem adept at making the best of social occasions," says Henry, who's research interests include memory, emotion, and neuropsychological functioning.

The study's lead author, Queensland University's Bill von Hippel says a simple event like tea at a friend's house, generally thought to be rather ordinary by a younger person, was much more uplifting and brought more pleasure for an older person.

"Older people are better at finding the good in their daily life events," he says. "So, it seems life experience somehow gives you the wisdom to stop and smell the flowers."

Why older people are so contented with their social lives remains a puzzle, however.

There is some evidence that this positivity bias among older people might result from the gradual shrinking of the amygdala, a brain region that controls negative emotions such as fear and anger.

There is other research, however, that shows that older people may manage their emotions better by prioritising relationships more than younger adults.

"Older people realise that they have less time left in their lives and therefore choose to make the most of what they have, rather than focusing on long term goals or the negatives in a given situation," Dr Henry says.

Media contact, Dan Gaffney, 0411 156 015