Age moderates the association between helping and meaning in daily life.

ABSTRACT: The present study examined age differences in everyday prosocial behavior as well as its associated experienced meaning and emotions. In this study, with data collected from 2004 to 2005, a total of 180 participants aged 18-93 years completed an experience sampling procedure (five times a day for 7 days), where they reported the activities they were engaged in, the degree to which their present experiences were meaningful, and the emotions they were feeling. Age was positively associated with the frequency of helping others, and helping was related to greater experienced meaning at the between-person level. At the between-person level, helping was also associated with more positive emotional experience (and unrelated to negative emotional experience), and this effect was stronger for older

SUBMITTER: Chen EY 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12922490 | biostudies-literature | 2026 Feb

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature