Ellen Peters, professor of psychology, is co-author of a new study finding that older adults can improve their decision making and working memory simply by putting on a happy face. The study was done with Stephanie Carpenter of the University of Michigan; David Västfjäll of Linköping University in Sweden; and the late Alice Isen of Cornell University

Researchers found that easy mood-boosters—like giving people a small bag of candy—helped seniors do significantly better on tests of decision-making and working memory.

This is the first study to show the power of positive moods in helping older people with these brain tasks.

"There has been lots of research showing that younger adults are more creative and cognitively flexible when they are in a good mood. But because of the cognitive declines that come with aging, we weren't sure that a good mood would be able to help older adults," said Peters. "So these results are good news. There are ways for older adults to overcome some of the cognitive declines that come with aging."

The study, supported by a grant from the National Science Foundation to Peters, appears in the current issue of the journal Cognition and Emotion.

Read the press release, written and provided by Jeff Grabmeier, director, Research and Innovation Communications.