1. + Feelings go up after midlife
- feelings subside after midlife
Older adults use more + words to describe emotions
Older adults pay less attention to - stimuli
Amygdala diminishes in responsiveness to - stimuli and retains its responsiveness to +

2. As the years go by feelings mellow
Highs less high, lows less low
There is stability of well being across the life span
Adult moods are less extreme but more enduring
Old age offers less intense joy but greater contentment and increased spirituality
As we age, life becomes less an emotional rollercoaster, more like paddling a canoe