台大心理系

Research on engaged lifestyles points to promising ways to age well. Findings are mixed, however, when different types of social and activity engagement are examined. The underlying mechanisms associated with beneficial types of engagement remain unclear. I present two ongoing studies, juxtaposing core tenets of socioemotional selectivity theory and the use-it-or-lose-it hypothesis, to suggest differential roles of social engagement, particularly interactions with close social partners, and activity engagement that requires cognitive effort in supporting emotional well-being and cognitive functioning in old age. I draw on the life-span principle that development involves gains and losses in interpreting and discussing the findings.