Why older adults often have smaller social circles: a 10-year study found peripheral ties faded while close relationships held steady, and emotional tone mattered more than network size

Why older adults often have smaller social circles: a 10-year study found peripheral ties faded while close relationships held steady, and emotional tone mattered more than network size

A smaller social circle is usually narrated as a loss. The names disappear from the Christmas card list, fewer people are invited to dinner, and acquaintances who once filled the week drift out of view. From the outside, contraction can look like loneliness. Laura Carstensen’s research offers a different possibility. Across adulthood, people often become more selective about where they place their social attention. Peripheral relationships fall …