Age, affect, and social closeness: an experience sampling study of advice-taking across the adult lifespan

Little is known about the degree to which older adults rely on advice in their everyday decision-making, as well as predictors and outcomes of their advice-taking. The present study aimed to examine whether social closeness and momentary affect predict advice-taking across the adult lifespan using an experience sampling method in everyday life. Decision satisfaction with or without advice-taking was also examined. Participants (N = 117) were predominately Western, European aged 21–76 years. They reported on their advice-taking 3 times a day for 10 days. Data collected over 2023–2024 revealed that degree of social closeness did not influence the association between age and advice-taking. However, when affect was more positive, older age was associated with greater advice-taking. These findings suggest that affective state but not relationship goals and closeness to an advisor predict greater advice-taking with older age. In addition, greater advice-taking and more positive affect are associated with greater decision satisfaction, regardless of age. Overall, the current findings indicate that in their everyday decision-making, older adults are more likely to take advice when they are in a positive mood.