Doctor and senior woman wearing facemasks during coronavirus and flu outbreak. Virus protection. COVID-2019..

A new study has uncovered revealing findings about perception and age: Older people, investigators found, can take bad news better than their children or grandchildren. As a result, they can be more risky gamblers because losses don’t affect them as much.

Older adults process negative information differently from their younger counterparts, according to research funded by the National Institute on Aging. They respond less strongly to unpleasant information.

When they were shown a series of images, including dead animals and ice cream, they were less likely to be depressed and affected by negative or unpleasant information. They also were less likely to react to gambling losses. Still, their lack of responsiveness did not make them any happier, said lead researcher Dr. Stacey Wood, neuropsychologist and associate professor at California’s Scripps College.