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The cognitive correlates of affect intensity, together with the relationships between this variable and socio-demographic and outcome variables such as, respectively, age and anxiety remain understudied. This work analyzes age differences in affect intensity and in two types of cognitive coping strategies in threatening situations: vigilance and distraction. Also, the relationship between this two variables and their association with the level of anxiety is explored. Fifty five younger and 51 older subjects (aged 60 and more) participated in the study. The results revealed significant age differences in the assessed variables, as well as differential interrelationships between them in the 2 age groups. Also, affect intensity and cognitive coping appear to be more related to anxiety in the older subjects group. The relevance of age in the analysis of the relationships between psychological construct is highlighted. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]