Aging and the use of Aging and the use of emotional cues to guide emotional cues to guide social judgmentssocial judgments

Louise Phillips, Gillian Slessor & Louise Phillips, Gillian Slessor & Rebecca BullRebecca Bull

University of AberdeenUniversity of Aberdeen

Aging and emotion perceptionAging and emotion perception

Ruffman et al. (2008) meta-Ruffman et al. (2008) meta-analysisanalysis– Older adults less accurate in Older adults less accurate in

identifying facial expressions of identifying facial expressions of sadness, anger and fear.sadness, anger and fear.

– No age differences happiness, No age differences happiness, surprise, disgustsurprise, disgust

What are the social consequences What are the social consequences of age differences in emotion of age differences in emotion recognition?recognition?– Quality of life and social participationQuality of life and social participation– Judgments of social approachJudgments of social approach

Emotion and gaze cuesEmotion and gaze cues

Adams & Kleck (2005) Adams & Kleck (2005) – Angry faces with direct gaze are Angry faces with direct gaze are

rated as more angryrated as more angry Phillips, MacLean & Allen Phillips, MacLean & Allen

(2002)(2002)– Older adults less able to Older adults less able to

recognise angry expressions.recognise angry expressions. Slessor, Phillips & Bull (2008)Slessor, Phillips & Bull (2008)

– Old less able to discriminate Old less able to discriminate subtle differences in eye gaze.subtle differences in eye gaze.

Are there age differences in Are there age differences in integrating gaze and emotion integrating gaze and emotion cues?cues?

If so, less distinction between If so, less distinction between direct and averted gaze direct and averted gaze

Emotion task: Emotion task: – Asked which face more angry.Asked which face more angry.

Social task: Social task: – Asked when would be most likely Asked when would be most likely

to ask the person for a favour.to ask the person for a favour.

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emotion social

youngold

% of time chose direct gaze as more angry

% of time chose averted gaze to ask favour

ImplicationsImplications

Young and old differ in the effects of Young and old differ in the effects of emotion on social judgmentsemotion on social judgments

Older adults’ judgments of emotion Older adults’ judgments of emotion unaffected by gaze direction, unlike unaffected by gaze direction, unlike youngyoung

Older adults’ decisions about approach Older adults’ decisions about approach behaviour influenced by eye contact behaviour influenced by eye contact rather than emotion-eye gaze integrationrather than emotion-eye gaze integration

Potential influences on social behaviourPotential influences on social behaviour