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Journal directory listing - Volume 70 (2025) - Journal of Research in Education Sciences【70(4)】December (Special Issue: Older Adult Education)
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(Special Issue) Learn From the Heart? A Cross-Level Analysis of the Impact of Affect on Older Adult Learning From the Perspective of Affective Event Theory: Cross Level Analysis
Author:
Wan-Jung Hsiao (Department of Counseling Psychology and Human Resource Development, National Chi Nan University)

Vol.&No.：Vol. 70, No. 4
Date：December 2025
Pages：121-156
DOI：https://doi.org/10.6209/JORIES.202512_70(4).0005

Abstract：

Research Motivation and Objectives
　　With the accelerating pace of global population aging, Taiwan is projected to become a super-aged society by 2025, with more than a quarter of its citizens aged 65 or older. The quality of life and social participation of older adults have thus become crucial issues for national development. In this social context, how to sustain older adults’ motivation for lifelong learning and enhance their psychological well-being and life satisfaction has become a shared concern among scholars and policymakers. However, prior research on older adult learning has mostly focused on structural factors such as curriculum design, learning motivation, and the provision of learning resources. Comparatively little attention has been paid to the learners’ internal psychological processes and emotional fluctuations. In practice, the learning behavior of older adults is often influenced by subjective factors such as emotional states and psychological well-being. Therefore, this study aims to explore how emotional experiences affect learning participation among older adults. Drawing on the Affective Events Theory (AET), the study seeks to analyze how both positive and negative emotions, along with well-being, influence daily learning behaviors, thereby addressing a gap in the existing literature.
　　This study has three main objectives: First, it seeks to explore the relationship between daily emotional states– both positive and negative– and learning participation among older adults. Second, it aims to examine whether psychological well-being mediates the effect of emotional fluctuations on learning behavior. Third, it employs multilevel statistical models to analyze within-person and between-person variation, thereby uncovering the psychological mechanisms underlying older adult learning behavior in greater detail.
Literature Review
　　AET posits that individuals’ behaviors and attitudes are shaped by emotional events encountered in daily life. These emotional events may arise from interpersonal interactions, physical conditions, environmental stimuli, and more. The theory suggests that positive emotions can motivate individuals to engage in more meaningful activities, while negative emotions may inhibit behavior or lead to avoidance tendencies. Although AET has been widely applied in the field of organizational behavior to explore issues such as employee performance, engagement, and turnover intention, its application in the context of older adult learning remains in an exploratory stage.
　　Moreover, emotions are not static but dynamic psychological phenomena that fluctuate over time. Contemporary psychological research indicates that emotional states change in response to daily life events and can be captured in real time through the Experience Sampling Method (ESM). This method allows researchers to observe individuals’ psychological responses in natural settings while minimizing the recall bias and subjectivity often associated with retrospective self-reports.
　　In contrast, psychological well-being is regarded as a relatively stable psychological trait. It encompasses both cognitive evaluations of life satisfaction and the experience of enduring positive emotions. Individuals with high levels of well-being often possess greater psychological capital, demonstrate active coping strategies, maintain proactive life attitudes, and participate more fully in social activities. Among older adults, psychological well-being is not only associated with quality of life and mental health but is also strongly correlated with their willingness to learn and their persistence in lifelong learning.
　　In summary, integrating AET with the concept of psychological well-being provides a comprehensive framework for understanding the psychological foundations of older adult learning behavior. This theoretical integration forms the basis for the research model developed in this study.
Research Method
　　This study employed the Experience Sampling Method (ESM) to conduct an empirical investigation. A total of 173 retired older adults aged 60 and above were recruited as participants. Over a consecutive ten-day period, data were collected twice daily to capture each participant’s initial emotional state in the morning and their learning participation in the evening. Morning reports assessed both positive and negative emotional states, while evening reports documented the frequency and type of learning activities engaged in that day, including community-based courses, online learning, and volunteer service.
　　Emotional states were measured using the Positive and Negative Affect Schedule (PANAS), which assesses ten positive and ten negative emotions. Psychological well-being was evaluated using a scale specifically developed for Chinese populations. Learning participation was quantified through five self-reported items. To analyze the repeated- measure data, hierarchical linear modeling (HLM) was adopted to distinguish within-person (level 1) and between-person (level 2) variance. Control variables, including age and gender, were also included in the model.
Research Findings and Discussion
　　The analysis revealed that older adults’ positive emotional states experienced in the morning significantly enhanced their learning participation later in the day. When individuals felt hopeful, happy, or energetic, they were more likely to engage proactively in courses, activities, or social interactions, reflecting an elevated motivation for learning. This aligns with the predictions of the Affective Events Theory, confirming that the psychological drive for learning is not solely rooted in long-term motivations or structural incentives, but can also be stimulated by short-term emotional fluctuations. Conversely, negative emotions did not exhibit a significant inhibitory effect on learning participation. This may be related to older adults’ emotional regulation capabilities and the level of social support they receive. Future research could further investigate the moderating mechanisms underlying this phenomenon.
　　In the multilevel analysis, psychological well-being exhibited a dual pathway of influence: on the one hand, it directly promoted learning participation– individuals with higher well-being were more likely to persist in learning behavior; on the other hand, it indirectly facilitated learning by increasing daily positive emotions and reducing negative emotions. This result suggests that well-being is not only an outcome of learning, but also an important antecedent, supporting the view that “psychological capital drives action.”
　　Moreover, the study found significant variability in both emotional states and behavior at the intra-individual and inter-individual levels. This indicates that each older adult not only differs in general emotional tendencies, but also experiences emotional fluctuations day to day in response to life events. Therefore, understanding learning behavior through a static lens may fail to capture the dynamic reality of older adults’ lives. These findings underscore the importance of real-time, dynamic data collection and provides a methodological reference for future research.
Recommendation
　　This study provides recommendations at three levels to promote older adult learning and enhance psychological well-being.
　　First, at the individual level, older adults are encouraged to maintain positive emotional states through practices such as mindfulness, self-affirmation, and interpersonal engagement. These strategies can help echance daily motivation to participate in learning. For those with low well-being or emotional instability, tailored workshops on emotional awareness and regulation may help strengthen psychological resilience.
　　Second, at the family and community level, family members, caregivers, and community volunteers are advised to assist older adults in developing a structured learning routine while providing emotional support and resource access. Establishing a warm and interactive learning environment can help stabilize emotional states, reduce avoidance behaviors, and reinforce the willingness to sustain learning participation.
　　Third, at the policy and institutional level, the government is encouraged to integrate mental health considerations into policies promoting older adult education, combining social-psychological services with lifelong learning initiatives. Interdepartmental collaborations– for example, between the Ministry of Education and the Ministry of Health and Welfare– could be established to develop “psychologically oriented senior learning programs” that enhance the overall well-being of older adults.
　　Furthermore, future research is recommended to employ longer-term longitudinal designs to examine the interactive processes between emotion and learning behavior. Comparative studies across different cultural, gender, and educational backgrounds can also uncover the diversity in emotional regulation and learning participation among older adults. Such investigations would not only enrich the theoretical discourse on aging psychology and lifelong learning but also provide practical, context-specific insights for localized implementation.

Keywords：positive emotions, negative emotions, older adult learning, affect, affect event theory

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APA Format
Hsiao, W.-J. (2025). Learn From the Heart? A Cross-Level Analysis of the Impact of Affect on Older Adult Learning From the Perspective of Affective Event Theory: Cross Level Analysis. Journal of Research in Education Sciences, 70(4), 121-156. 
https://doi.org/10.6209/JORIES.202512_70(4).0005