The document discusses the age-related positivity effect, which is defined as older individuals favoring positive over negative information when processing cognitively. A study by Reed and Carstensen found this trend occurs as people age. The assistant hypothesizes that individuals who faced more challenges in life and learned to overcome obstacles through perseverance are more likely to develop this positivity effect. Attention restoration theory also suggests people are naturally drawn to either positive or negative stimuli cognitively.