Positivity Effect

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In a series of studies, the positivity effect has been found to influence a wide range of cognitive processes. The effects were reversed in older adults who recalled fewer positive images and instead concentrated more on negative images. This finding suggests that age may be a contributing factor to a person’s preference for negative information. Similar results were found in visual attention. Older adults spent more time looking at negative pictures than positive ones and were less likely to recall the faces of positive people. In contrast, younger adults exhibited the opposite pattern.