Older people are happier, say researchers

The older people get, the happier they become, according to psychologists.

But while there is "good theory" relating to the idea that people become more positive the older they get, there is not enough "direct evidence", according to researchers in Boston. 

Some believe that as people get older, they are more likely to remember positive events and filter out negative ones, leaving them with a rosier view of the world. Some research efforts have found that older people will actively seek out situations likely to improve their mood, and steer clear of encounters that could bring them down.

A new article, Linking Process and Outcome in the Study of Emotion and Aging, has just been published in the January edition of the journal Perspectives on Psychological Science. The authors, psychologists from Northeastern University in Boston, have called for more work to be carried out to produce consistently demonstrated direct links between age and happiness.

Researcher Derek Isaacowitz said: "Older people are happier on average, but we still want to know in what situations does this particular strategy make this particular person with these particular qualities or strengths feel good."

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