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Study design

Researchers tested 120 participants: 62 younger and 58 older adults. After excluding 3 older participants with MoCA scores below 26, prospective-memory analyses included 117 people. Each experienced negative, neutral and positive mood conditions and completed prospective-memory tasks, which assess remembering to carry out intended actions. Mood was measured before induction, after induction and after the task; questionnaires assessed intrusive thoughts.

Findings

More negative mood change after induction was linked to worse task performance, while more positive change after the task was linked to better performance. Difficulty controlling intrusive thoughts was associated with poorer prospective memory. Statistical indirect-effect analyses connected these measures, but do not establish a causal chain; performance itself may also influence mood.

Limitations and disclosures

Positive mood induction was relatively weak, and laboratory tasks and self-reported thought control cannot establish benefits in everyday life. Age groups differed in their mood responses, so a similar statistical pattern does not prove identical mechanisms across ages. No supplement or treatment was tested. The authors declared no competing interests.

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