Sending memorable messages to the old: Age differences in preferences and memory for advertisements.

2003/01/01 by Helene H. Fung, Laura L. Carstensen · 294 citations
Psychology · #Aging and Gerontology Research #Cognition #Developmental psychology #Empathy #Need for cognition #Perspective (graphical) #Perspective-taking #Psychological Well-being and Life Satisfaction #Psychological and Temporal Perspectives Research #Psychology #Social psychology #Socioemotional selectivity theory #Time perspective

paper · doi:10.1037/0022-3514.85.1.163

published in Journal of Personality and Social Psychology 85(1), 163-178 (American Psychological Association)

openalex publication_date 2003/01/01 · openalex created_date 2025/10/10 · openalex updated_date 2026/08/01

Abstract

Socioemotional selectivity theory holds that people of different ages prioritize different types of goals. As people age and increasingly perceive time as finite, they attach greater importance to goals that are emotionally meaningful. Because the goals that people pursue so centrally influence cognition, the authors hypothesize that persuasive messages, specifically advertisements, would be preferred and better remembered by older adults when they promise to help realize emotionally meaningful goals, whereas younger adults would not show this bias. The authors also predict that modifying time perspective would reduce age differences. Findings provide qualified support for each of these predictions.

Citations

• Happiness is everything, or is it? Explorations on the meaning of psychological well-being.

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• The predicament of time near the end of life: Time perspective trajectories of life satisfaction among the old-old
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