Age Advantages in Emotional Experience Persist Even Under Threat From the COVID-19 Pandemic.
Level 4 - case-series / case-control
Cross-sectional survey (graded by design analogy for psychological research)
PubMed 33104409 · doi:10.1177/0956797620967261
What was done
During exponential spread of COVID-19 in the United States, researchers surveyed a representative sample of 945 Americans aged 18 to 76 years. The study assessed the frequency and intensity of positive and negative emotions, perceived risk of viral contagion and complications, personality, health, and demographic characteristics.
What was found
The abstract reports no numerical values, test statistics, or effect sizes. It states that age was associated with relatively greater emotional well-being both with and without adjustment for perceived COVID-19 risk and other covariates.
Why it matters
This study provides evidence that the well-documented emotional advantages observed in older adults persist even during a severe, population-wide crisis in which older adults face heightened physical vulnerability.
Limits
The study relied on a cross-sectional design, precluding causal inference or longitudinal tracking of individual emotional changes. All measures were self-reported, and the abstract omits quantitative effect sizes and confidence intervals.
Cited by
- supports Psychological research during COVID demonstrated that older adults exhibited greater psychological resilience than younger adults.