We may wish some memories could last a lifetime, but many physical and emotional factors can negatively impact our ability to keep information throughout life.
A new study published in the journal Psychological Science found that people who feel enthusiastic and cheerful, which is called "positive affect" by psychologists, are less likely to experience memory declines as they age. This adds to more and more research on positive affect's role in healthy aging.
A team of researchers analyzed data from 991 middle-aged and older adults who participated in a national study conducted at three time periods: between 1995 and 1996, 2004 and2006, and 2013 and 2014.
In each period, participants reported on a range of positive emotions they had experienced during the past 30 days. In the final two periods, participants also completed tests of memory performance. These tests included recalling words immediately after their presentation and again 15 minutes later.
The researchers examined the association between positive affect and memory decline, taking account of age, gender, education, and depression.
"Our findings showed that memory declines with age, "said Claudia Haase, an associate professor at Northwestern University. "However, individuals with higher levels of positive affect had a less steep memory decline over the course of almost a decade, "added Emily Hittner, a PhD graduate of Northwestern University.
Areas of future research might address the pathways that could connect positive affect and memory, such as physical health or social relationships.
