TY - JOUR
T1 - Variability in affective change among aging men
T2 - Longitudinal findings from the VA Normative Aging Study
AU - Griffin, Paul W.
AU - Mroczek, Daniel K.
AU - Spiro, Avron
N1 - Funding Information:
This study was supported by a grant from the National Institute on Aging (R01-AG18436) to Dan Mroczek. The various data used in this study were collected via NIH grants to Carolyn M. Aldwin (R01-AG13006), Michael R. Levenson (R01-AA08941), and Raymond Bossé (R01-AG02237), and by the Department of Veterans Affairs. The VA Normative Aging Study (NAS) is supported by the Cooperative Studies Program/ERIC, U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, and is a research component of the Massachusetts Veterans Epidemiology Research and Information Center (MAVERIC). We thank Patricia Berretty, Douglas Katz, Margot Nadien, and Lonnie Sherrod for helpful comments.
PY - 2006/12
Y1 - 2006/12
N2 - We examined change in both positive and negative affect over ages 45 to 97 among 1534 men (mean age = 69 years). Positive affect demonstrated a linear decline with age, while negative affect declined until approximately 70 years, and thereafter showed a gradual increase. Results indicated significant individual differences in rates of change for both positive and negative affect. We then examined whether personality, health, and work status might account for individual differences in levels and rates of change in affect. Higher extraversion was associated with higher levels of positive affect, but not with rate of change. Higher neuroticism predicted higher levels of negative affect, as well as an attenuated decline in middle-adulthood, and a steeper increase in later adulthood. Better health was associated with higher levels of positive affect and lower levels of negative, but was also found to predict less decline in negative affect. Work predicted lower levels of positive affect and higher levels of negative affect, as well as greater declines in positive affect. These findings indicate that individuals differ in the manner in which they change in affect over time.
AB - We examined change in both positive and negative affect over ages 45 to 97 among 1534 men (mean age = 69 years). Positive affect demonstrated a linear decline with age, while negative affect declined until approximately 70 years, and thereafter showed a gradual increase. Results indicated significant individual differences in rates of change for both positive and negative affect. We then examined whether personality, health, and work status might account for individual differences in levels and rates of change in affect. Higher extraversion was associated with higher levels of positive affect, but not with rate of change. Higher neuroticism predicted higher levels of negative affect, as well as an attenuated decline in middle-adulthood, and a steeper increase in later adulthood. Better health was associated with higher levels of positive affect and lower levels of negative, but was also found to predict less decline in negative affect. Work predicted lower levels of positive affect and higher levels of negative affect, as well as greater declines in positive affect. These findings indicate that individuals differ in the manner in which they change in affect over time.
KW - Emotional well-being
KW - Growth curve models
KW - Personality development
KW - Positive and negative affect
KW - Subjective well-being
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U2 - 10.1016/j.jrp.2005.09.011
DO - 10.1016/j.jrp.2005.09.011
M3 - Article
AN - SCOPUS:33750833382
VL - 40
SP - 942
EP - 965
JO - Journal of Research in Personality
JF - Journal of Research in Personality
SN - 0092-6566
IS - 6
ER -