biostudies-literatureJunghaenel DUNIA NIH HHSNational Institute on Aging679-693https://www.ebi.ac.uk/biostudies/studies/S-EPMC8442980biostudies-literatureUnknown36(6)Emotions and symptoms are often overestimated in retrospective ratings, a phenomenon referred to as the "memory-experience gap." Some research has shown that this gap is less pronounced among older compared to younger adults for self-reported negative affect, but it is not known whether these age differences are evident consistently across domains of well-being and why these age differences emerge. In this study, we examined age differences in the memory-experience gap for emotional (positive and negative affect), social (loneliness), and physical (pain, fatigue) well-being. We also tested four variables that could plausibly explain age differences in the gap: (a) episodic memory and executive functioning, (b) the age-related positivity effect, (c) variability of daily experiences, and (d)Psychology and agingExplaining age differences in the memory-experience gap.PMC8442980R01 AG042407Stone AASchneider SMak HWGoldstein SMendez MJunghaenel DUBroderick JEWen CKFfalseExplaining age differences in the memory-experience gap.Emotions and symptoms are often overestimated in retrospective ratings, a phenomenon referred to as the "memory-experience gap." Some research has shown that this gap is less pronounced among older compared to younger adults for self-reported negative affect, but it is not known whether these age differences are evident consistently across domains of well-being and why these age differences emerge. In this study, we examined age differences in the memory-experience gap for emotional (positive and negative affect), social (loneliness), and physical (pain, fatigue) well-being. We also tested four variables that could plausibly explain age differences in the gap: (a) episodic memory and executive functioning, (b) the age-related positivity effect, (c) variability of daily experiences, and (d)2021-01-01T00:00:00Z2021 Sep2025-04-04T09:36:50.59Z2025-04-04T09:36:50.59ZS-EPMC84429803451617210.1037/pag0000628