What question did this study set out to answer?

To determine whether emotional valence influences verbal recognition memory in older adults when word stimuli are tightly controlled, evaluating the validity of the age-related positivity effect.

August 16, 2026Psychology and AgingOpen Access

Valence does not affect recognition of verbal stimuli for older adults: Implications for the age-related positivity effect.

View Full Paper

Ask AI

Bookmark

Authors

DGDominic GuitardCardiff University INIan NeathVirginia Tech ASAimée M. SurprenantVirginia Tech

Discussion

Member takes

Implication

Experimental study reveals no effect of emotional valence on word recognition in older adults, suggesting the age-related positivity effect reflects response bias rather than memory accuracy.

Key Points

To determine whether emotional valence influences verbal recognition memory in older adults when word stimuli are tightly controlled, evaluating the validity of the age-related positivity effect.
Tested older adults aged 65–80 across three recognition experiments assessing memory sensitivity and response bias for positive, negative, and neutral words varying in concreteness.
Conducted a fourth recognition experiment comparing younger adults (aged 18–25) and older adults (aged 65–79) using low-arousal positive and negative words, supplemented by cross-study comparative analyses.
Recognition sensitivity was consistently higher for concrete words than abstract words, but emotional valence showed no significant effect on sensitivity across experiments.
Direct comparisons between younger and older adults confirmed the absence of an age-by-valence interaction, indicating that valence does not modulate recognition accuracy in either age group.

Cite This Study

Guitard et al. (2026) studied this question.

synapsesocial.com/papers/6a81794cf2fb91fc834ac603 https://doi.org/10.1037/pag0001017

View Full Paper

Ask AI

Bookmark

Implication

Experimental study reveals no effect of emotional valence on word recognition in older adults, suggesting the age-related positivity effect reflects response bias rather than memory accuracy.

Valence does not affect recognition of verbal stimuli for older adults: Implications for the age-related positivity effect.

Discussion

Member takes

Implication

Key Points

Cite This Study

Valence does not affect recognition of verbal stimuli for older adults: Implications for the age-related positivity effect.

Discussion

Member takes

Implication

Key Points

Cite This Study

Also Consider

Also Consider