In the lab, the research assistant is showing young and old adults some very sad and some heartwarmingly happy images. Whose brains are likely to show greater activation in the amygdala upon viewing the images, and will the activation be greater for the happy or the sad images?

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

Research suggests that as people age, they tend to focus more on positive information due to a shift in goals towards emotional regulation and well-being. This is known as the "positivity effect." Therefore, older adults are likely to show greater activation in the amygdala, a brain region involved in emotional processing, for positive (happy) images compared to negative (sad) ones.

In the Lab, the Research Assistant Is Showing Young and Old