Elderly Show Their Emotional Know-How

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Scientists have documented a depressing list of memory and intellectual losses that mount as healthy adults advance into old age. A new study indicates, however, that when it comes to dealing with emotions, seniors rule.

From young adulthood to well past retirement age, positive emotions occur at a fairly constant rate, while the frequency of negative emotions declines markedly, a research team finds. Adults of all ages cite comparable intensities for the entire spectrum of emotions.

After bottoming out at around age 60, the amount of negative emotion experienced from day to day slowly rises, but it stays well below the peak level of people in their early 20s, …