Age differences in attention under sadness : comparisons between Chinese and U.S. Americans

Previous literature have found positivity effects in age-related cognition, such that with age, people show increased preference in processing positive stimuli relative to negative or neutral stimuli. Yet, in cross-cultural studies the findings are mixed. This study utilized eye-tracking techniques to record visual fixation towards emotional information when participants were under sadness induction or not. Younger and older participants from Hong Kong (n = 119; Young: 19 – 26 years; Old: 64 – 81 years) and US (n = 111; Young: 18 – 23 years; Old: 60 – 87 years) viewed pictures that differed in valence (positive, negative, neutral) and cultural relevance (US, Chinese culture). Results revealed that older participants in both cultures showed decreased fixation duration towards negative pictures compared to younger participants. When experimentally induced into sad mood, US older participants showed increased attention towards positive pictures whereas Hong Kong older participants did not. The findings suggest that age-related differences in attention under laboratory-induced affect may be moderated by one’s cultural background.