Everyday Problem Solving in a Social Context and Aging

描述(由申请人提供)：越来越多的证据表明，老年人对问题解决环境表现出更高的敏感性，并相应地选择问题解决和情绪调节策略。在这次相互竞争的更新中，我们提出了八项研究，将进一步记录这种模式，探索潜在的机制，并评估适应性后果。我们积累的证据表明，这种与年龄相关的反应模式在人际关系和情绪紧张的问题上最为明显。在这些情况下，老年人使用被动情绪调节策略和主动策略相结合，而年轻人和中年人更关注主动策略。我们认为，老年人解决日常问题的这种不同模式是适应性的，反映了越来越多的证据表明，老年人在情绪调节方面更有效。在第一个研究中，我们将对自然产生的情绪和生理结果进行时间抽样分析，这些结果与解决问题和情绪调节策略的使用有关，包括离散情绪和个人目标在策略选择中所起的作用。接下来的四项研究将集中在目标和策略使用之间契合度方面的年龄差异。首先，我们将考察问题解决目标的年龄差异。接下来的三项研究将以具体的方法将个人目标与日常问题解决策略联系起来，还有两项研究通过实验操纵目标定向(未来时间视角和社会目标与工具性目标)，以确定目标是否是年龄相关问题解决策略使用差异背后的重要驱动机制。最后，第三组三项研究将探索这样一种观点，即老年人对情绪调节的偏好是由情绪的重要性和调节能力的提高所推动的。此外，这一目标重点的好处和成本是什么？我们将使用趋同的方法来评估情绪调节策略的使用以及心理和生理情绪反应。

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): There is increasing evidence that older adults display a greater sensitivity to problem solving contexts and select problem-solving and emotion regulation strategies accordingly. In this competing renewal we propose eight studies that will further document this pattern, explore underlying mechanisms, and assess the adaptive consequences. We have accumulated evidence that this age-related pattern of responding is most evident in interpersonal and emotionally-charged problems. In these situations, older adults used passive emotion regulation strategies in combination with proactive strategies, whereas young and middle-aged adults focused more on proactive strategies. We suggest that this differential pattern of everyday problem solving in older adults is adaptive and reflects growing evidence that older adults are more effective in emotion regulation. In the first study we will conduct a time-sampling analysis of naturally occurring emotional and physiological outcomes that occur in association with problem solving and emotion-regulation strategy use including the role discrete emotions and personal goals play in strategy selection. The next four studies will focus on age differences in the fit between goals and strategy use. First we will examine age differences in problem solving goals. The next three studies will relate personal goals to everyday problem solving strategies taking an idiographic approach, and two studies experimentally manipulating goal orientation (future time perspective and social versus instrumental goals) to determine if goals are an important driving mechanism behind age-related differences in problem-solving strategy use. Finally, a third set of three studies will explore the idea that older adults' penchant for emotion regulation is motivated by the increased importance of emotions and the ability to regulate them. In addition, what are benefits and costs of this goal focus? We will use converging methods to assess emotion regulation strategy use as well as psychological and physiological emotional reactivity.