Playfulness in Online and Face-to-face Interactions, From Adulthood to Aging: Physiological, Cognitive, and Emotional Mechanisms and Outcomes

Playful interactions have an important role in human sociality. During playful interactions, two individuals continuously co-create an imaginary world together, such as playing roles in an imaginary scene or co-creating synchronized movements together. Playful interactions are characterized by an enhanced sense of flow and joy and have been associated with physical and psychological well-being across the lifespan. This research team and others have shown that playful interactions are particularly beneficial for the older population, which are at higher risk of cognitive decline and social isolation. The overarching aim of this proposal is to conduct an in-depth investigation of the effects of playful interactions, in older population. Specifically the investigators will test the effect of short playful interaction on cognitive measures, as well as social and affective indices, and compare them to a non-playful interaction (such exercise class, or personal conversation).