Better research is needed to understand why elders are happier
(Medical Xpress) -- Older people tend to be happier. But why? Some psychologists believe that cognitive processes are responsiblein particular, focusing on and remembering positive events and leaving behind negative ones; those processes, they think, help older people regulate their emotions, letting them view life in a sunnier light. There is a lot of good theory about this age difference in happiness, says psychologist Derek M. Isaacowitz of Northeastern University, but much of the research does not provide direct evidence of the links between such phenomena and actual happiness. In a new article in Perspectives on Psychological Science, a journal published by the Association for Psychological Science, Isaacowitz and the late Fredda Blanchard-Fields of Georgia Institute of Technology argue for more rigorous research.