Creativity and humor contribute to older adults' well-being through similar mechanisms

Many people associate aging with cognitive decline, health problems, and decreased activity. Identifying mental processes that can improve well-being in older adults can be extremely useful in helping them develop more effective activities to improve their quality of life.

Researchers from the University of Brescia and the Catholic University of the Sacred Heart recently conducted a study examining the contribution of creativity and humor to the well-being of older adults. Their findings, published in Neuroscience Letters, show that these two aspects of human experience share common psychological and neurobiological processes that contribute to well-being in old age.

"Our recent study contributes to the direction of exploring the cognitive resources that remain available to older adults and understanding how these resources can support well-being," Alessandro Antonietti, co-author of the paper, told Medical Xpress.

"It is widely believed that aging is associated with a decline in intellectual efficiency. This is true only for some aspects of cognitive performance, but not for creativity and humor."

Previous studies examining the neural underpinnings of creativity and humor have asked people to perform tasks related to these processes while monitoring their brain activity. This might include completing tasks assessing creative thinking and filling out questionnaires asking them to share funny personal stories or jokes.

"Once a connection between creativity and humor is established, it becomes a fact, but the reasons for this connection remain unknown," Antonietti explained. "In our paper, we tried to offer some hypotheses, supported by existing theories, about the reasons for the empirically confirmed connection between creativity and humor. The general conclusion was that both creativity and humor involve ways of thinking that lead people to go beyond their usual view, adopting new perspectives and discovering new meanings."

The ability to adapt one’s perception and see the world or events from a different perspective can be linked to both creativity and humor. This mental flexibility helps older adults cope with challenges and biological changes, allowing them to adapt their behavior to the limitations they face and to recognize both the challenges and opportunities of aging.

"We showed that divergent thinking, a form of thinking that allows people to explore new possibilities and not mechanically repeat common answers, is still present in older adults and can be used to solve everyday problems as well as the existential challenges associated with aging," Antonietti said. "In my opinion, this is a reassuring message for people who believe that aging will only bring losses and a decline in health and well-being. Moreover, demonstrating that creative skills are not impaired by the neurological pathologies often associated with aging is a positive message, as it forces people to focus not only on losses but also on what is preserved or even enhanced."

A recent study by Antonietti and colleagues highlights the key role of mental flexibility, or “divergent thinking,” in maintaining well-being. In the future, this may lead to the development of new activities and training programs aimed at developing this mental ability in older adults.

"We are now trying to develop exercises and tips that are contextualized, that is, closely related to the real activities that older people engage in in their daily lives," Antonietti added. "This is important for two reasons.

"First, the motivation to do exercises and apply advice is higher if a person understands why they might be useful. Second, the transfer from the training context to real life is more likely if the situations covered in the training program resemble real life situations."