As individuals age, they become more selective with how they spend their time and resources, focusing on emotionally important activities and objects. This is known as socio-emotional selectivity theory, which also suggests a positive bias and varying degrees of selectivity based on one’s perception of time. Aging and emotionally impactful experiences can influence this perception.
Socio-emotional selectivity theory is the theory that as an individual ages, they become more selective about how they spend resources such as time and money. Instead of trying to spend his life in search of various experiences or simple pleasures, he uses his resources in activities and objects that have more emotional importance. This theory is based largely on what motivates different individuals at different ages. The theory of socio-emotional selectivity makes substantial claims about changes in social life, spending habits, memory, and goals across different age groups. Another element of socioemotional selectivity is a bias toward the positive: Individuals without the concept of having only a limited amount of time left are more likely to embrace negative experiences in exchange for possible future gains, for example.
The degree of selectivity that individuals express tends to vary based on their perspectives on time. When one consciously or subconsciously perceives time as unlimited, as is common during youth, one is likely to be less selective with time than she is. An individual who sees time as very limited, on the other hand, is likely to be much more selective with time than she is. In socioemotional selectivity theory, older individuals are likely to be more selective because, for them, there is greater immediacy to the problem of mortality.
One of the main aspects of the theory of socioemotional selectivity is the social behavior of individuals with different time perspectives. People who perceive time as relatively unlimited are more likely to want to meet new people and attempt to build new friendships and relationships despite the emotional risks. By meeting new people and working on weak relationships, you expose yourself to the risk that the relationship will not be emotionally satisfying and may even be harmful. People who perceive time as limited, on the other hand, are more likely to spend their time focusing on relationships they find consistently pleasurable and emotionally fulfilling. This is representative of the theory’s concept of a positive bias.
Many different factors can influence the perception of time. One of the most important factors is age, for aging lends an air of immediacy to the problem of mortality. Illnesses, especially life-threatening ones, can also cause a person to become more selective about experiences, according to the theory of socioemotional selectivity. Emotionally tumultuous experiences, such as divorce or the death of a family member, can have a similar effect.
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