Age differences in goals: implications for health promotion.

OBJECTIVES

Socioemotional selectivity theory postulates that, as people age, they prioritize emotionally meaningful goals. This study investigated whether these age differences in goals are reflected in how younger (aged 18-36, n = 111) and older adults (aged 62-86, n = 104) evaluated, remembered information from and were persuaded by health messages.

METHOD

Participants were randomly assigned to read health pamphlets with identical factual information but emphasizing emotional or non-emotional goals.

RESULTS

Findings showed that health messages that emphasized emotional goals, but not those that emphasized future-oriented or neutral goals, were better remembered, were evaluated more positively and led to greater behavioral changes among older adults, but not younger adults.

CONCLUSION

These findings suggest that health messages targeting older adults may be more effective if they are framed in ways that emphasize love and caring.