figure 14.18 Socioemotional selectivity theory Carstensen’s socioemotional selectivity theory predicts that the salience of social motives—that is, the relative importance of the motives to individuals—will change across the life span, due to people’s awareness of the amount of time left in their life (Carstensen, 1995). The curves show shifts in three social motives: seeking information, developing self-concept, and regulating emotion in order to maintain an emotionally positive day-to-day life. In older adulthood, people are most motivated to experience social interactions—with family or longtime friends—that are emotionally meaningful to them.