Socioemotional Selectivity Theory Essay

Relationships and Aging: Jenkins Question

Socioemotional selectivity theory proposed that throughout early to late adulthood, people are more selective in their relationships to maximize gains and minimize risks. Instead of trying to pursue new experiences, one focuses on activities and relationships that have more emotional importance. This theory is based largely on the perception of time, which changes with age. Socioemotional selectivity has a large bias toward a positive outlook. People with the absence of only having a limited amount of time remaining are more likely to embrace negative experiences in exchange for possible future gains, rather than the experiencing emotional validation.
Changes in The Nature of Relationships with Age
Those who perceive time as relatively unlimited are more likely to want to meet new people and to attempt to build new friendships and relationships in spite of the emotional risks. In contrast, those who perceive time as limited are more likely to spend their time focusing on relationships that they consistently find to be pleasant and emotionally fulfilling. This is the basis of the bias toward the positive rather than negative. Maximizing emotional rewards leads many adults to have a preference towards spending more time with close friends and family who will serve as an emotional positive validation. Although, having a purely positive focus, comparable to identity assimilation, can minimize negative information and have some utmost consequences (Whitbourne, Whitbourne, & Konnert, 2015). For example, ignoring necessary medical treatments or habits when advised by your health care provider, can lead to worsened symptoms and overall lower quality of