Does demand drive choice? Cognitive demand of emotion regulation tactics and preferences in adulthood and old age

OBJECTIVES: Older adults tend to report high emotional well-being and more recent research has investigated possible age differences in emotion regulation tactics, including Valence × Direction tactics and acceptance. Previous studies have found that older adults prefer positive-approaching tactics and acceptance more than younger adults. However, it remains unclear what drives this age difference. The current study tested cognitive demand as a potential mechanism. METHODS: = 62) self-reported cognitive effort and pupil dilation during an instructed emotion regulation task where participants viewed negative images and regulated their emotions. Participants also selected their preferred tactic for a final 'free-regulate' block. RESULTS: Results indicated that acceptance was perceived as less cognitive-demanding than other tactics across age groups, though pupillometry data did not reflect this difference. There were no significant age differences in emotion regulation behaviors at the tactic level. CONCLUSION: Overall, results suggested that perceived demand, rather than cognitive ability or actual demand, may play a more central role in regulatory decision-making.