Socioemotional Selectivity Theory: The Role of Perceived Endings in Human Motivation
2021/08/06 by Laura L Carstensen, Laura L. Carstensen · 520 citations
Psychology · #Affect (linguistics) #Aging and Gerontology Research #Cognitive psychology #Communication #Developmental psychology #Psychological Well-being and Life Satisfaction #Psychological and Temporal Perspectives Research #Psychology #Social psychology #Socioemotional selectivity theory
paper · pdf · doi:10.1093/geront/gnab116
published in The Gerontologist 61(8), 1188-1196 (Oxford University Press)
openalex publication_date 2021/08/06 · openalex created_date 2025/10/10 · openalex updated_date 2026/08/03
Abstract
Socioemotional selectivity theory (SST) is a theory of life-span development grounded in the uniquely human ability to monitor time. SST maintains that the approach of endings-whether due to aging or other endings such as geographic relocations and severe illness-elicits motivational changes in which emotionally meaningful goals are prioritized over exploration. Research guided by SST has informed preferences, social networks, and emotional experience and led to the discovery of the positivity effect in cognitive processing. This article, based on my 2015 Robert W. Kleemeier Award Lecture, describes the development of SST and its related program of empirical research.
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