How a positive outlook can help with memory loss

A new study has shown that an upbeat attitude can do more than just brighten your mood

New research suggests positive people are less likely to suffer with memory loss as they age. Unsplash

For even the most positive of people, this year has made it difficult to remain upbeat.

But if you are looking for that extra push to try to look on the bright side of things, a new study carried out at Northwestern University in Illinois has shown that people who are positive and enthusiastic are less likely to experience memory loss as they get older.

The research, published in the journal Psychological Science, looked at 1,000 US adults and was carried out over a number of years, as participants got older.

Between 1995 and 1996, 2004 and 2006, and 2013 and 2014, participants were asked about the emotions they had felt over the 30 days leading up to the study, before being asked to take a memory test, which saw them recall words directly after hearing them, and again 15 minutes later.

Researchers took into account the participant’s age, gender, education and history of depression, and were able to look at the results to see a link between what psychologists refer to as “positive affect” – how a person experiences positive emotions – and memory loss.

While the results showed a natural memory decline with age for all participants, researchers found that those with higher rates of positive affect had in general, a better ability to recall information.

“Individuals with higher levels of positive affect had a less steep memory decline over the course of almost a decade”, Emily Hittner, lead author of the study, said.

The findings add to a growing body of research on positive affect's role in ageing healthily. Researchers suggest that as a result, future studies might address the pathways that could connect positive affect and memory, such as physical health or social relationships.