In the Moment and Feeling Good: Age Differences in Mindfulness and Positive Affect

• Published in: Translational issues in psychological science 2017-12, Vol.3 (4), p.338-347
• Main Authors: Shook, Natalie J., Ford, Cameron, Strough, JoNell, Delaney, Rebecca, Barker, David
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Age Differences; Aging; Female; Human; Male; Mindfulness; Positive Emotions; Well Being
• ISSN: 2332-2136; 2332-2179
• DOI: 10.1037/tps0000139

Although aging is often associated with several negative outcomes (e.g., declines in physical health), older adults generally report more positive and less negative affect than younger adults. The mechanisms underlying this "well-being paradox" are not clearly understood. In the present study, we examined whether differences in trait mindfulness accounted for age differences in affect. Community-dwelling younger (n = 123, Mage = 28.63 years) and older adults (n = 117, Mage = 68.10 years) completed measures of affect and mindfulness. Older adults reported significantly more positive affect and mindfulness than younger adults. Negative affect did not differ by age. After controlling for mindfulness, positive affect no longer differed by age. That is, mindfulness significantly mediated the relation between age and positive affect. An alternative model in which positive affect mediated the relation between age and mindfulness was not supported. These findings suggest that age-related increases in trait mindfulness may contribute to age differences in emotional well-being. Implications of these findings for health and well-being in younger and older adults are discussed. What is the significance of this article for the general public? Older adults (a growing segment of the U.S. population) are more likely to experience negative life events than younger adults, but they tend to have better emotional well-being than younger adults. In this study, older adults reported greater awareness of being in the present moment, also known as mindfulness, than younger adults. Furthermore, this mindfulness helped to explain why older adults reported more positive affect than younger adults do, suggesting that mindfulness facilitates healthy aging.