Age Differences in Cognitive Control and Daily Control Strategies and Emotional Experiences: Implications on Physical and Emotional Health

This project aims to investigate age differences in cognitive control, and control strategies and emotional experiences in daily life, and how these processes impact physical and emotional health over time. In-depth understanding of our everyday experiences is essential for the study of human stress resilience. Older adults relative to younger adults demonstrate higher cortisol levels, report higher positive affect and lower negative affect, and are more motivated to enhance positive emotional states. Older adults also differ from younger adults in coping with stress, for they are more likely to change themselves to fit with environmental demands because of their declining physical and mental resources for goal attainment. This project will significantly contribute to aging and health psychology research by delineating cognition-emotion interactions that characterize human resilience. The potential findings will inform development of age-appropriate, ecologically valid training protocols for enhancing physical and emotional health of people across the adult lifespan.

Funding Source: RGC - Early Career Scheme (ECS)