Positivity effect (aging)

Biological Parallel

Aging elephants preferentially recall positive social interactions while younger elephants show no bias—as remaining lifespan shortens, prioritizing positive memories may optimize social bonding when future is limited. Older organisms shift attention from threat-scanning to reward-savoring because with less future, present emotional quality matters more than vigilance. The positivity effect is adaptive time-horizon adjustment: when you can't change much ahead, optimize now.