Age differences in preferences through the lens of socioemotional selectivity theory

IF 1.9 3区经济学 Q2 DEMOGRAPHY Journal of the Economics of Ageing Pub Date : 2023-02-01 DOI:10.1016/j.jeoa.2022.100440

Laura L. Carstensen, Megan E. Reynolds

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引用次数: 4

Abstract

The ways that individuals experience time, specifically as it relates to prioritizing the present versus the future, have played foundational roles in economics and psychology.

Traditionally, both disciplines have viewed individuals’ time preferences as time-independent and stable. In this paper, we examine principles such as time consistency and rational expectations through the lens of socioemotional selectivity theory. We argue that preferences change as personal time horizons shrink, and rewards related to emotional meaning in the present are prioritized over rewards that play out in the future. This manifests in older individuals’ preferences for emotionally meaningful experiences over activities that promote learning and exploration. Because goals direct cognitive resources, individuals with shorter time horizons also direct cognitive resources and attention away from negative information and towards positive information. Shifting goals and changes in cognitive preferences have wide-ranging implications for aging research and policy development.

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社会情感选择性理论视角下的年龄偏好差异

个人体验时间的方式，特别是与优先考虑现在和未来有关的方式，在经济学和心理学中发挥了基础性作用。传统上，这两个学科都认为个人的时间偏好是独立和稳定的。在本文中，我们通过社会情感选择性理论的视角来检验时间一致性和理性预期等原则。我们认为，随着个人时间范围的缩小，偏好会发生变化，与当前情感意义相关的奖励优先于未来的奖励。这体现在老年人更喜欢有情感意义的体验，而不是促进学习和探索的活动。因为目标引导认知资源，所以时间范围较短的个体也会将认知资源和注意力从负面信息引导向正面信息。目标的转变和认知偏好的变化对老龄化研究和政策制定有着广泛的影响。

本文章由计算机程序翻译，如有差异，请以英文原文为准。

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来源期刊

Journal of the Economics of Ageing Multiple-

CiteScore

4.10

自引率

4.50%

发文量

审稿时长

49 days

期刊介绍： The Journal of the Economics of Ageing (JEoA) is an international academic journal that publishes original theoretical and empirical research dealing with the interaction between demographic change and the economy. JEoA encompasses both microeconomic and macroeconomic perspectives and offers a platform for the discussion of topics including labour, health, and family economics, social security, income distribution, social mobility, immigration, productivity, structural change, economic growth and development. JEoA also solicits papers that have a policy focus.