Socioemotional Selectivity Theory: The Role of Perceived Endings in Human Motivation

作者：Laura L. Carstensen · 发表于：The Gerontologist · 年份：2021 · DOI：10.1093/geront/gnab116 · 被引用次数：546 · 研究领域：Aging and Gerontology Research、Psychological Well-being and Life Satisfaction、Psychological and Temporal Perspectives Research

Socioemotional selectivity theory (SST) is a theory of life-span development grounded in the uniquely human ability to monitor time. SST maintains that the approach of endings-whether due to aging or other endings such as geographic relocations and severe illness-elicits motivational changes in which emotionally meaningful goals are prioritized over exploration. Research guided by SST has informed preferences, social networks, and emotional experience and led to the discovery of the positivity effect in cognitive processing. This article, based on my 2015 Robert W. Kleemeier Award Lecture, describes the development of SST and its related program of empirical research.