Closeness to friends explains age differences in positive emotional experience during the lockdown period of COVID-19 pandemic

被引:18
作者
Cavallini, Elena [1 ]
Rosi, Alessia [1 ]
van Vugt, Floris Tijmen [2 ]
Ceccato, Irene [3 ]
Rapisarda, Filippo [4 ]
Vallarino, Martine [1 ]
Ronchi, Luca [1 ]
Vecchi, Tomaso [1 ,5 ]
Lecce, Serena [1 ]
机构
[1] Univ Pavia, Dept Brain & Behav Sci, Piazza Botta 6, I-27100 Pavia, Italy
[2] Univ Montreal, Dept Psychol, Montreal, PQ, Canada
[3] Univ G dAnnunzio, Dept Neurosci Imaging & Clin Sci, Chieti, Italy
[4] Sociosfera ONLUS SCS, Seregno, Italy
[5] IRCCS Mondino Fdn, Cognit Psychol Unit, Pavia, Italy
关键词
Positive emotion; Negative emotion; COVID-19; Closeness; Activity; LEISURE ACTIVITIES; LIFE; HEALTH;
D O I
10.1007/s40520-021-01927-7
中图分类号
R592 [老年病学]; C [社会科学总论];
学科分类号
03 ; 0303 ; 100203 ;
摘要
Background Studies on age differences in emotional states during the COVID-19 pandemic showed that older adults experienced greater emotional wellbeing compared to younger adults. We hypothesized these age differences to be related to the perception of closeness to family/friends or the engagement in daily activities during the pandemic. Aim To investigate age differences in positive and negative emotional experiences and whether the perception of closeness to family/friends and the engagement in daily activities during pandemic explained such age-related differences. Methods Through a cross-sectional study, 1,457 adults aged 18-87 years old completed an online survey assessing positive and negative emotional experiences, the perception of more closeness to family/friends, and daily activities that participants started/re-started during the pandemic. Results Increasing age was associated with more positive and less negative emotional experiences. Age differences in positive emotional experience were explained by the perception of more closeness to friends and not by the engagement in daily activities. For negative emotional experience age, differences remained significant even after accounting for the perception of closeness to family/friends and engagements in daily activities. Discussion Older adults' greater overall level of positive emotional experience was explained by their greater perception of more closeness to friends. We speculate that social closeness provides a coping mechanism to increase emotional wellbeing employed especially in older adults. Conclusion Our findings reinforce the link between perceived social closeness and emotional wellbeing especially in older adults. To cope with stressful situation, it is important to encourage older adults to increase the closeness to their social network.
引用
收藏
页码:2623 / 2631
页数:9
相关论文
共 21 条
[1]   Age Advantages in Emotional Experience Persist Even Under Threat From the COVID-19 Pandemic [J].
Carstensen, Laura L. ;
Shavit, Yochai Z. ;
Barnes, Jessica T. .
PSYCHOLOGICAL SCIENCE, 2020, 31 (11) :1374-1385
[2]  
Carstensen LL, 1999, AM PSYCHOL, V54, P165
[3]   Age-related differences in the perception of COVID-19 emergency during the Italian outbreak [J].
Ceccato, Irene ;
Palumbo, Rocco ;
Di Crosta, Adolfo ;
La Malva, Pasquale ;
Marchetti, Daniela ;
Maiella, Roberta ;
Verrocchio, Maria Cristina ;
Marin, Anna ;
Mammarella, Nicola ;
Palumbo, Riccardo ;
Di Domenico, Alberto .
AGING & MENTAL HEALTH, 2021, 25 (07) :1305-1313
[4]   Age Differences in COVID-19 Risk Perceptions and Mental Health: Evidence From a National US Survey Conducted in March 2020 [J].
de Bruin, Wandi Bruine .
JOURNALS OF GERONTOLOGY SERIES B-PSYCHOLOGICAL SCIENCES AND SOCIAL SCIENCES, 2021, 76 (02) :E24-E29
[5]   Selective narrowing of social networks across adulthood is associated with improved emotional experience in daily life [J].
English, Tammy ;
Carstensen, Laura L. .
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF BEHAVIORAL DEVELOPMENT, 2014, 38 (02) :195-202
[6]  
Field A.P., 2013, Discovering Statistics Using R, V4th ed.
[7]   The broaden-and-build theory of positive emotions [J].
Fredrickson, BL .
PHILOSOPHICAL TRANSACTIONS OF THE ROYAL SOCIETY B-BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES, 2004, 359 (1449) :1367-1377
[8]  
George Darren., 2011, SPSS for Windows Step by Step: A Simple Guide and Reference, V10th ed., DOI DOI 10.4324/9781003205333
[9]   Emotion and aging: Experience, expression, and control [J].
Gross, JJ ;
Carstensen, LL ;
Pasupathi, M ;
Tsai, J ;
Skorpen, CG ;
Hsu, AYC .
PSYCHOLOGY AND AGING, 1997, 12 (04) :590-599
[10]   AGE-DIFFERENCES IN COGNITIVE PERFORMANCE IN LATER LIFE - RELATIONSHIPS TO SELF-REPORTED HEALTH AND ACTIVITY LIFE-STYLE [J].
HULTSCH, DF ;
HAMMER, M ;
SMALL, BJ .
JOURNALS OF GERONTOLOGY, 1993, 48 (01) :P1-P11