Negative and Positive Affect among the Very Old

The purpose of the study was to measure positive affect (PA) and negative affect (NA), and the factors that might influence these in the very elderly. The study involved 105 people, 90 years and older, who were not cognitively impaired, living in the inner part of Stockholm. The Positive and Negative Affect Schedule was translated and used to measure affect. Results showed that PA and NA were virtually uncorrelated. Furthermore, it was also demonstrated that the factors that influence affect in the very elderly are similar to those influencing affect in younger ages and that personality traits are the major correlates of affect.