But the positivity effect has drawbacks: Older people often ignore crucial but nettlesome details or fall prey to scammers selling the moon.

FORBES: Rethinking Old Age

In 2003 she coined the term "the positivity effect, " a phenomenon that describes how people focus more on positive than negative information in old age.

FORBES: Magazine Article

Garber's involvement inspired Carstensen's graduate student Corinna Lockenhoff to see if, in light of the positivity effect, there was a way to help older people make better decisions about health care.

FORBES: Rethinking Old Age