Though many of us would like to retain and recall fond memories, physical and emotional factors negatively impact our ability to store and remember information, especially as we age.

A new study, which adds to the growing body of research pointing to the impact of positive attitude in healthy aging, has found that people who are generally enthusiastic and cheerful (termed ‘positive affect’) are less likely to experience memory decline as they age.

The team of researchers from Northwestern University in the United States analyzed data from nearly a 1,000 middle-aged people over three time periods between 1995 and 1996, 2004 and 2006, and 2013 and 2014.

In each assessment, participants reported on a range of positive emotions they had experienced during the past 30 days. In the final two assessments, participants also completed tests of memory performance. These tests consisted of recalling words immediately after their presentation and again 15 minutes later.

The researchers examined the association between positive affect and memory decline — while accounting for age, gender, education, depression, negative affect, and extraversion. They found that though memory declined with age, individuals with higher levels of positive affect had a less steep memory decline over the course of almost a decade.

The scientists behind the study said they planned to conduct future research that might address the pathways that could connect positive affect and memory, such as physical health or social relationships.


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