Everyday Problem Solving and Emotion

2007/02/01 by Fredda Blanchard–Fields · 5 citations
Psychology · #Emotional Intelligence and Performance #Aging and Gerontology Research #Cognitive Abilities and Testing

paper · doi:10.1111/j.1467-8721.2007.00469.x

openalex publication_date 2007/02/01 · openalex created_date 2025/10/10 · openalex updated_date 2026/08/04

Abstract

Despite cognitive declines that occur with aging, older adults solve emotionally salient and interpersonal problems in more effective ways than young adults do. I review evidence suggesting that older adults (a) tailor their strategies to the contextual features of the problem and (b) effectively use a combination of instrumental and emotion-regulation strategies. I identify factors of problem-solving contexts that affect what types of problem-solving strategies will be effective. Finally, I discuss how this identification of factors affects what we know about developmental differences in everyday problem-solving competence.

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• Problem solving [wikipedia]