People who feel enthusiastic and cheerful -- what psychologists call "positive affect" -- are less likely to experience memory decline as they age, said researchers. The result, published in the journal Psychological Science in 2020, adds to a growing body of research on positive affect's role in healthy aging. "We may wish some memories could last a lifetime, but many physical and emotional factors can negatively impact our ability to retain information throughout life," said study authors from Northwestern University in the US.⁠ ⁠ _____⁠ ⁠ For the findings, the research team analyzed data from 991 middle-aged and older US adults who participated in a national study conducted in three time periods -- between 1995 and 1996, 2004 and 2006, and 2013 and 2014. In each assessment, participants reported on a range of positive emotions they had experienced during the past 30 days. In the final two assessments, participants also completed tests on memory performance. These tests consisted of ...