Effect of Emotional Word Processing on Communicative and Social Functioning in the Elderly

María Fernanda Lara Bernal, Janeth Hernández-Jaramillo, Oliver Müller, Ximena Palacios Espinosa

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

Abstract

Introduction: Communicative and social functioning in old age involves cognitive and emotional resources. According to the Socioemotional Selectivity Theory (TSS), older adults have an affinity for positive events and cultivate their emotional skills.

Objective: To explore the relationship between communicative and social functioning and the processing of emotional stimuli in the elderly.

Materials and methods: Older adults and young adults performed a computerized lexical decision task (LDT) and were assessed on their communicative functioning.

Results: There were statistically significant differences in the valence factor, with faster processing of stimuli with emotional versus non-emotional content (2196 = 36.39, p <.001); Regarding communicative and social functioning, when comparing it with performance in the TDL , it was shown that older adults obtained longer reaction times and higher error rates in the processing of stimuli, as well as lower scores in the ASHA-FACS.

Conclusion: Even when there is no evidence of an interaction between the processing of emotional stimuli and communicative and social functioning, emotional valence influences word processing in older adults, with a preference and selectivity for positive stimuli.
Translated title of the contributionEfecto del procesamiento emocional de palabras en el funcionamiento comunicativo y social en el adulto mayor
Original languageEnglish (US)
Pages (from-to)1-19
Number of pages19
JournalRevista ciencias de la salud
Volume21
Issue number1
DOIs
StatePublished - Mar 1 2023

All Science Journal Classification (ASJC) codes

  • Medicine (miscellaneous)
  • Health(social science)

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