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Busseri MA. How Dispositional Optimists and Pessimists Evaluate their Past, Present and Anticipated Future Life Satisfaction: A Lifespan Approach. EUROPEAN JOURNAL OF PERSONALITY 2020. [DOI: 10.1002/per.1854] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Abstract
Dispositional optimism is typically conceptualized with respect to generalized positive expectancies for personal future outcomes. The present work draws on lifespan development theory to evaluate how dispositional optimists and pessimists from across the lifespan evaluate their past, present and anticipated future life satisfaction (LS). Using data from an American probability sample (n = 3871, ages = 30–84 years, 55% female), I compared dispositional optimists and pessimists across six age decades. Subjective LS trajectories reflected in mean trends in ratings of past, present and future LS were contoured by lifestage, revealing inclining trajectories among young dispositional optimists and pessimists and declining trajectories among older optimists and pessimists. After adjusting for age–specific normative trends, however, differences between dispositional optimists and pessimists in subjective LS trajectories were consistent across lifestage, revealing a single dissociative pattern wherein optimists rated their past, present and anticipated future LS more positively than did pessimists. Of the three temporal perspectives, evaluations of present (rather than past or future) LS were most consistently related to dispositional optimism. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
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Maftei A, Holman AC. Cyberchondria During the Coronavirus Pandemic: The Effects of Neuroticism and Optimism. Front Psychol 2020; 11:567345. [PMID: 33192848 PMCID: PMC7662431 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2020.567345] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/29/2020] [Accepted: 09/11/2020] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Health anxiety during the current coronavirus pandemic can be a serious psychological issue, amplified by the medical uncertainty around this disease and social isolation. As older people are especially at risk of becoming severely ill, it is important to examine the personal factors that make members of this age group more prone to health anxiety. Previous studies indicated that cyberchondria, i.e., the repeated online search for medical information, exacerbates health anxiety. The present research investigated the effect of two opposing traits, optimism and neuroticism, on cyberchondria during the COVID-19 pandemic. The associations of cyberchondria with demographic factors (age, gender, and education) were also examined. A sample of 880 participants, aged 15-67, 65% of whom were female, participated in an online survey. Results show that neuroticism, age, and being female are positively associated with cyberchondria. Optimism was found to be related to cyberchondria, but this effect was qualified by a significant interaction with age. Further analysis revealed that the effect of optimism was significant only in the highest age group. Moreover, among these elderly participants, the psychologically protective influence of optimism against cyberchondria emerged as larger than the opposite effect of neuroticism. This demonstrates the mental benefits of encouraging a positive outlook on the current health crisis and on one's personal resilience in facing it, especially among the elderly. Conversely, among people who use the Internet as a major source of medical information, those high in neuroticism may be more prone to cyberchondria.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alexandra Maftei
- Department of Psychology, Alexandru Ioan Cuza University, Iaşi, Romania
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Exploring the Psychological Effects of Optimism on Life Satisfaction in Students: The Mediating Role of Goal Orientations. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH AND PUBLIC HEALTH 2020; 17:ijerph17217887. [PMID: 33126438 PMCID: PMC7663095 DOI: 10.3390/ijerph17217887] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/14/2020] [Revised: 10/16/2020] [Accepted: 10/19/2020] [Indexed: 01/07/2023]
Abstract
Subjective wellbeing is a current issue today. Various variables affect subjective wellbeing during adolescence: a crucial stage in the life of the individual. This study focuses on analysing the relationship between academic goal orientation, optimism and life satisfaction in adolescent students, as well as the possible mediating role of the goal orientation (task and ego) in the relationship between optimism and life satisfaction in adolescents. Methods: The sample comprises 1602 students (male N = 871; 54.36% and female N = 731; 45.63%) from nine secondary schools. The instruments used were the Life Orientation Test Revised (LOT-R), the Perception of Success Questionnaire (POSQ) and the Satisfaction With Life Scale (SWLS) questionnaire. Results: The results of the study reveal significant correlations between optimism-related variables, goal orientation and life satisfaction. In addition, goal orientation was found to have a positive mediating role on optimism and life satisfaction. Conclusion: The study shows the importance of promoting adaptive behaviours in goal orientation in adolescents, leading to optimal levels on variables such as optimism and life satisfaction, which in turn improve the individual’s psychological development and academic performance.
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Abstract
The study of relationships between personality traits and health has a long history in psychosomatic research. However, personality science has evolved from an understanding of personality as fixed traits to one that acknowledges that personality is dynamic. Dynamic approaches to conceptualizing and measuring personality and individual differences can enrich personality-health research. In this Presidential Address (American Psychosomatic Society, 2018), I consider how different formulations of personality-stable traits, stable signals in a noisy or variable measure, within-person changes, and intraindividual variability-can be implemented to better understand how personality is related to health and particularly to immune function. These approaches recognize and, in some cases, capitalize on the fact that personality factors can display variability as well as stability over time. They also require repeated measurement and therefore greater methodological sophistication that considers reliability and generalizability, Simpson's paradox, and the difference between variability and flexibility. Dynamic qualities of personality and individual differences potentially influence health, and designs and methodology that incorporate them can illuminate the important processes that occur inside the error bars.
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Affiliation(s)
- Suzanne C. Segerstrom
- Department of Psychology, University of Kentucky, 125 Kastle Hall, Lexington, KY 40506-0044, Phone 859-257-4549, FAX 859-323-1979,
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Uchida Y, Kitayama S, Akutsu S, Park J, Cole SW. Optimism and the conserved transcriptional response to adversity. Health Psychol 2018; 37:1077-1080. [PMID: 30221968 DOI: 10.1037/hea0000675] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/08/2023]
Abstract
Dispositional optimism, a personality trait predisposing individuals to positive expectations, has been suggested to promote better health. However, little is known about the biological mechanism of the salubrious health effects of optimism. We hypothesized that by diminishing a sense of threat to the self, optimism will be associated with a healthier profile of gene expression in immune cells. Specifically, the "conserved transcriptional response to adversity" (CTRA) is activated by fight-or-flight stress responses and results in increased transcription of genes involved in inflammation and decreased transcription of genes involved in antiviral defense. In a sample of 114 male Japanese workers, we found that optimism was inversely linked to CTRA after controlling for demographic variables, health-risk factors, and indices of well-being. These results are consistent with the hypothesis that reduced activity of threat-related gene expression programs may contribute to the health effects associated with optimism. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2018 APA, all rights reserved).
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Satoshi Akutsu
- School of International Corporate Strategy, Hitotsubashi University Business School
| | - Jiyoung Park
- School of Behavioral and Brain Sciences, The University of Texas at Dallas
| | - Steve W Cole
- Medicine and Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences in the School of Medicine, University of California, Los Angeles
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Gorges J, Grund A. Aiming at a Moving Target: Theoretical and Methodological Considerations in the Study of Intraindividual Goal Conflict between Personal Goals. Front Psychol 2017; 8:2011. [PMID: 29201013 PMCID: PMC5696770 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2017.02011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/18/2017] [Accepted: 11/03/2017] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Multiple-goal pursuit and conflict between personal life-defining goals can be considered part of everyday business in most individuals' lives. Given the potentially detrimental effects of goal conflict—for example, impaired well-being or poor performance—the literature on goal conflict is surprisingly scattered due to heterogeneous methodological approaches and technical terms. Little empirical research has addressed the conceptualization of goal conflict against the background of differing understandings from a structure-like and a process-like perspective. In the present article, we outline theoretical foundations of goal conflict from two perspectives: a structure- and a process-like perspective. Based on a comparative analysis and integration of these two perspectives, we systematically review empirical studies on goal conflict over 30 years of research. In doing so, we identify and discuss important conceptual dimensions of goal conflict, namely, goal conflict as a cognitive construct and an experiential instance, a focus on goal interrelations or on specific goal properties, and resource vs. inherent conflict, and the potential of these distinctions to further research on goal conflict. Finally, we present major challenges and pose questions that need to be addressed by future research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Julia Gorges
- Department of Psychology, Faculty of Psychology and Sports Science, Bielefeld University, Bielefeld, Germany
| | - Axel Grund
- Department of Psychology, Faculty of Psychology and Sports Science, Bielefeld University, Bielefeld, Germany
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Relationship between daily pain and affect in women with rheumatoid arthritis: lower optimism as a vulnerability factor. J Behav Med 2017; 41:12-21. [PMID: 28718078 PMCID: PMC5765202 DOI: 10.1007/s10865-017-9874-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/26/2016] [Accepted: 07/07/2017] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
The aim of the study was to examine the moderating effect of optimism on the relationship between daily pain-daily affect. Fifty-four female patients with rheumatoid arthritis completed self-report measures of optimism (once), daily pain and daily positive and negative affect for 7 consecutive days during hospitalization. Results of multilevel random coefficients modeling demonstrated a significant cross-level interaction for daily negative affect only. Simple slopes analysis revealed that low optimism was related to a stronger positive relationship between daily pain and daily negative affect, whereas this effect was insignificant for higher optimism. High optimism was also related to higher daily positive affect, regardless of pain level. These findings suggest that low optimism may be a vulnerability factor in the daily pain-daily affect relationship rather than high optimism acting as a protective factor.
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Urzúa A, Caqueo-Urízar A, Araya C, Díaz P, Rocha M, Valdivia P. ¿Existe relación entre los optimismos estado y rasgo y la evaluación de la calidad de vida? UNIVERSITAS PSYCHOLOGICA 2016. [DOI: 10.11144/javeriana.upsy15-2.rtso] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/20/2022]
Abstract
Using a non-experimental, transverse, co-relational design, we assess the relationship between optimism and quality of life (QoL) in adults aged between 18 and 65 years. Two questionnaires were administered: WHOQOLBREF, which assessed QoL, and an instrument that assessed trait–state optimism. A total of 1190 subjects from various public and private high schools, institutions and commercial centers in the city of Antofagasta, Chile participated. The mean sample age was 40.0 years and 50.0% of respondents were male. There is a relationship between QoL and state optimism, with males demonstrating a higher QoL. Differences in optimism were observed only in age groups in which younger persons scored less than older persons. The results obtained indicate that there is a partial relationship between QoL and optimism, with state optimism having a significant effect on QoL.
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Segerstrom SC. Stress, Energy, and Immunity: An Ecological View. CURRENT DIRECTIONS IN PSYCHOLOGICAL SCIENCE 2016; 16:326-330. [PMID: 18645630 DOI: 10.1111/j.1467-8721.2007.00522.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 54] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/01/2022]
Abstract
A common perspective on stress-related changes in the human immune system is that such changes are potentially harmful, especially those occurring during chronic stress. In contrast, an ecological perspective views the immune system as an energetically costly system that may or may not have priority over other uses of that energy. From this perspective, the immune system may have energy made available for it via reduction of other activities, may change in energetically conservative ways when the protection it confers needs to be balanced with the energetic demands of other activities such as fight or flight, or may be suppressed when other activities are more important than immunity for total well-being. This last type of change can explain why aspects of psychosocial health such as optimism relate to worse immunity under some circumstances and suggests that both benefits and costs of immunosuppression during stress should be considered in research on human stress and immunity.
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Busseri MA, Choma BL. Reevaluating the link between dispositional optimism and positive functioning using a temporally expanded perspective. JOURNAL OF POSITIVE PSYCHOLOGY 2015. [DOI: 10.1080/17439760.2015.1058970] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/23/2022]
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Carver CS, Scheier MF. Dispositional optimism. Trends Cogn Sci 2014; 18:293-9. [PMID: 24630971 DOI: 10.1016/j.tics.2014.02.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 371] [Impact Index Per Article: 37.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/01/2013] [Revised: 02/04/2014] [Accepted: 02/05/2014] [Indexed: 10/25/2022]
Abstract
Optimism is a cognitive construct (expectancies regarding future outcomes) that also relates to motivation: optimistic people exert effort, whereas pessimistic people disengage from effort. Study of optimism began largely in health contexts, finding positive associations between optimism and markers of better psychological and physical health. Physical health effects likely occur through differences in both health-promoting behaviors and physiological concomitants of coping. Recently, the scientific study of optimism has extended to the realm of social relations: new evidence indicates that optimists have better social connections, partly because they work harder at them. In this review, we examine the myriad ways this trait can benefit an individual, and our current understanding of the biological basis of optimism.
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Gallagher MW, Lopez SJ, Pressman SD. Optimism Is Universal: Exploring the Presence and Benefits of Optimism in a Representative Sample of the World. J Pers 2013; 81:429-40. [DOI: 10.1111/jopy.12026] [Citation(s) in RCA: 64] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Affiliation(s)
| | - Shane J. Lopez
- Gallup/Clifton Strengths Institute; Irvine
- University of Kansas; Irvine
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The effects of daily distress and personality on genital HSV shedding and lesions in a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, crossover trial of acyclovir in HSV-2 seropositive women. Brain Behav Immun 2011; 25:1475-81. [PMID: 21693182 PMCID: PMC3175287 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbi.2011.06.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/07/2011] [Revised: 06/06/2011] [Accepted: 06/06/2011] [Indexed: 11/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Herpes simplex virus (HSV) infections are ubiquitous in humans, but the determinants of clinical and virologic severity are not completely understood. Prior research has suggested that psychological distress can be a co-factor in reactivation of latent HSV infection. Personality traits such as extraversion and neuroticism influence stress attributions and may inform the relationship between psychological distress and health outcomes. Earlier studies in this area have primarily focused on subjective reports of HSV lesion recurrence, but such reports may be influenced by both personality traits and distress. We report results from a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, crossover trial of acyclovir in 19 women for whom personality was assessed at baseline and daily assessments of genital lesions, stress, anxiety, and depression levels were collected for 22 weeks. In addition, daily swabs of the genital mucosa were collected to assess HSV-2 viral reactivation. We found that daily stress predicted genital lesion frequency, and that daily stress, anxiety, and depression predicted genital lesion onset approximately 5 days before onset. Anxiety was also associated with genital lesions 3 days after onset. Distress and viral reactivation were not associated; and no personality traits were associated with any of the outcomes. These results support the hypothesis that psychological distress is both a cause and a consequence of genital lesion episodes.
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Meevissen YMC, Peters ML, Alberts HJEM. Become more optimistic by imagining a best possible self: effects of a two week intervention. J Behav Ther Exp Psychiatry 2011; 42:371-8. [PMID: 21450262 DOI: 10.1016/j.jbtep.2011.02.012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 170] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/18/2010] [Revised: 02/11/2011] [Accepted: 02/22/2011] [Indexed: 10/18/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES Optimism is a personality trait which has repeatedly been shown to correlate with, and predict psychological and physical well-being. The present study investigated whether optimism can be increased by imagining a best possible self (BPS). Effects were compared to a control group in which participants imagined their daily activities (DA). METHODS In order to minimize inter-individual differences in content of imagery, participants constructed their BPS according to 3 domains, namely a personal, relational, and professional domain. All participants were instructed to practice their imagery exercise for 5 min per day over a period of two weeks. Effects on optimism and mood were measured after one session, after one week and after two weeks. RESULTS Results indicated that BPS imagery led to significantly larger increases in optimism as compared to DA imagery, after one session and over a two week period. Effects on optimism remained after controlling for possible mediation by the change in positive mood. LIMITATIONS In order to test the effectiveness of our BPS imagery intervention we relied exclusively on self-report measures. CONCLUSION The present study confirmed that imagining a BPS enhances levels of optimism, independent of the mood effect.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yvo M C Meevissen
- Clinical Psychological Science, Maastricht University, P.O. Box 616, 6200 MD Maastricht, The Netherlands.
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Chapman BP, Roberts B, Duberstein P. Personality and longevity: knowns, unknowns, and implications for public health and personalized medicine. J Aging Res 2011; 2011:759170. [PMID: 21766032 PMCID: PMC3134197 DOI: 10.4061/2011/759170] [Citation(s) in RCA: 134] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/31/2011] [Accepted: 05/19/2011] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
Abstract
We review evidence for links between personality traits and longevity. We provide an overview of personality for health scientists, using the primary organizing framework used in the study of personality and longevity. We then review data on various aspects of personality linked to longevity. In general, there is good evidence that higher level of conscientiousness and lower levels of hostility and Type D or "distressed" personality are associated with greater longevity. Limited evidence suggests that extraversion, openness, perceived control, and low levels of emotional suppression may be associated with longer lifespan. Findings regarding neuroticism are mixed, supporting the notion that many component(s) of neuroticism detract from life expectancy, but some components at some levels may be healthy or protective. Overall, evidence suggests various personality traits are significant predictors of longevity and points to several promising directions for further study. We conclude by discussing the implications of these links for epidemiologic research and personalized medicine and lay out a translational research agenda for integrating the psychology of individual differences into public health and medicine.
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Affiliation(s)
- Benjamin P. Chapman
- Laboratory of Personality and Development and Rochester Health Decision Making Group, Department of Psychiatry, University of Rochester Medical Center, 300 Crittenden, Rochester, NY 14607, USA
| | - Brent Roberts
- Personality Interest Group, Department of Psychology, University of Illinoi, Rochester, NY 14607, USA
| | - Paul Duberstein
- Laboratory of Personality and Development and Rochester Health Decision Making Group, Department of Psychiatry, University of Rochester Medical Center, 300 Crittenden, Rochester, NY 14607, USA
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Carver CS, Scheier MF, Segerstrom SC. Optimism. Clin Psychol Rev 2010; 30:879-89. [PMID: 20170998 PMCID: PMC4161121 DOI: 10.1016/j.cpr.2010.01.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 946] [Impact Index Per Article: 67.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/16/2009] [Revised: 12/22/2009] [Accepted: 01/25/2010] [Indexed: 10/19/2022]
Abstract
Optimism is an individual difference variable that reflects the extent to which people hold generalized favorable expectancies for their future. Higher levels of optimism have been related prospectively to better subjective well-being in times of adversity or difficulty (i.e., controlling for previous well-being). Consistent with such findings, optimism has been linked to higher levels of engagement coping and lower levels of avoidance, or disengagement, coping. There is evidence that optimism is associated with taking proactive steps to protect one's health, whereas pessimism is associated with health-damaging behaviors. Consistent with such findings, optimism is also related to indicators of better physical health. The energetic, task-focused approach that optimists take to goals also relates to benefits in the socioeconomic world. Some evidence suggests that optimism relates to more persistence in educational efforts and to higher later income. Optimists also appear to fare better than pessimists in relationships. Although there are instances in which optimism fails to convey an advantage, and instances in which it may convey a disadvantage, those instances are relatively rare. In sum, the behavioral patterns of optimists appear to provide models of living for others to learn from.
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Affiliation(s)
- Charles S Carver
- Department of Psychology, University of Miami, Coral Gables, FL 33124-0751, USA.
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Resources, Stress, and Immunity: An Ecological Perspective on Human Psychoneuroimmunology. Ann Behav Med 2010; 40:114-25. [DOI: 10.1007/s12160-010-9195-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 35] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/19/2022] Open
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Conversano C, Rotondo A, Lensi E, Della Vista O, Arpone F, Reda MA. Optimism and its impact on mental and physical well-being. Clin Pract Epidemiol Ment Health 2010; 6:25-9. [PMID: 20592964 PMCID: PMC2894461 DOI: 10.2174/1745017901006010025] [Citation(s) in RCA: 155] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/14/2009] [Revised: 02/28/2010] [Accepted: 02/28/2010] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
Abstract
Many studies have been carried out about the effectiveness of optimism as a psychological phenomenon, leading to various theoretical formulations of the same concept, conceptualized as “disposition”, “attributional style”, “cognitive bias”, or “shared illusion”. This overview is an attempt to explore the “optimism” concept and its relations with mental health, physical health, coping, quality of life and adaptation of purpose, health lifestyle and risk perception. Positive and negative expectations regarding the future are important for understanding the vulnerability to mental disorders, in particular mood and anxiety disorders, as well as to physical illness. A significant positive relation emerges between optimism and coping strategies focused on social support and emphasis on positive aspects of stressful situations. Through employment of specific coping strategies, optimism exerts an indirect influence also on the quality of life. There is evidence that optimistic people present a higher quality of life compared to those with low levels of optimism or even pessimists. Optimism may significantly influence mental and physical well-being by the promotion of a healthy lifestyle as well as by adaptive behaviours and cognitive responses, associated with greater flexibility, problem-solving capacity and a more efficient elaboration of negative information.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ciro Conversano
- Istituto di Scienze del Comportamento Università degli Studi di Siena, Policlinico Le Scotte viale Bracci - 53100 Siena, Italy
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Segerstrom SC, Sephton SE. Optimistic expectancies and cell-mediated immunity: the role of positive affect. Psychol Sci 2010; 21:448-55. [PMID: 20424083 DOI: 10.1177/0956797610362061] [Citation(s) in RCA: 58] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Optimistic expectancies affect many psychosocial outcomes and may also predict immune system changes and health, but the nature and mechanisms of any such physiological effects have not been identified. The present study related law-school expectancies to cell-mediated immunity (CMI), examining the within- and between-person components of this relationship and affective mediators. First-year law students (N = 124) completed questionnaire measures of expectancies and affect and received delayed-type hypersensitivity skin tests at five time points. A positive relationship between optimistic expectancies and CMI occurred: Changes in optimism correlated with changes in CMI. Likewise, changes in optimism predicted changes in positive and, to a lesser degree, negative affect, but the relationship between optimism and immunity was partially accounted for only by positive affect. This dynamic relationship between expectancies and immunity has positive implications for psychological interventions to improve health, particularly those that increase positive affect.
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Affiliation(s)
- Suzanne C Segerstrom
- Department of Psychology, University of Kentucky, 115 Kastle Hall, Lexington, KY 40506-0044, USA.
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Strauman TJ, Coe CL, McCrudden MC, Vieth AZ, Kwapil L. Individual differences in self-regulatory failure and menstrual dysfunction predict upper respiratory infection symptoms and antibody response to flu immunization. Brain Behav Immun 2008; 22:769-80. [PMID: 18294813 PMCID: PMC2464776 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbi.2008.01.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/14/2007] [Revised: 01/10/2008] [Accepted: 01/10/2008] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Prior research indicates that cognitive priming manipulations that activate personal goals acutely increase or decrease natural killer cell cytotoxicity depending on whether individuals see themselves as making or failing to make progress toward their goals. Those findings in a laboratory setting revealed a psychobiological pathway whereby experiences of failure can influence health, but did not assess the impact of chronic perceived success/failure in goal pursuit on actual health outcomes. Three new studies investigated whether individual differences in perceived failure to attain personal goals influenced the self-reported symptoms of upper respiratory infections (URIs) as well as antibody response to flu immunization. Based on pilot data in young women, it also was hypothesized that the occurrence of menstrual dysfunction might interact with goal pursuit failure to more specifically predict cold and flu symptoms and optimal responses to vaccination. Perceived failure to attain goals did predict the reporting of URI symptoms as well as antibody levels post-immunization, both alone and in combination with menstrual dysfunction.
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Affiliation(s)
- Timothy J Strauman
- Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, Duke University, Box 90086, 9 Flowers Drive, Durham, NC 27708, USA.
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Kiecolt-Glaser JK, Graham JE, Malarkey WB, Porter K, Lemeshow S, Glaser R. Olfactory influences on mood and autonomic, endocrine, and immune function. Psychoneuroendocrinology 2008; 33:328-39. [PMID: 18178322 PMCID: PMC2278291 DOI: 10.1016/j.psyneuen.2007.11.015] [Citation(s) in RCA: 111] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/03/2007] [Revised: 10/08/2007] [Accepted: 11/29/2007] [Indexed: 01/14/2023]
Abstract
Despite aromatherapy's popularity, efficacy data are scant, and potential mechanisms are controversial. This randomized controlled trial examined the psychological, autonomic, endocrine, and immune consequences of one purported relaxant odor (lavender), one stimulant odor (lemon), and a no-odor control (water), before and after a stressor (cold pressor); 56 healthy men and women were exposed to each of the odors during three separate visits. To assess the effects of expectancies, participants randomized to the "blind" condition were given no information about the odors they would smell; "primed" individuals were told what odors they would smell during the session, and what changes to expect. Experimenters were blind. Self-report and unobtrusive mood measures provided robust evidence that lemon oil reliably enhances positive mood compared to water and lavender regardless of expectancies or previous use of aromatherapy. Moreover, norepinephrine levels following the cold pressor remained elevated when subjects smelled lemon, compared to water or lavender. DTH responses to Candida were larger following inhalation of water than lemon or lavender. Odors did not reliably alter IL-6 and IL-10 production, salivary cortisol, heart rate or blood pressure, skin barrier repair following tape stripping, or pain ratings following the cold pressor.
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Affiliation(s)
- Janice K. Kiecolt-Glaser
- The Ohio State University, Department of Psychiatry, 1670 Upham Drive, Columbus, OH 43210, The Ohio State Institute for Behavioral Medicine Research, 2175 Graves Hall, 333 West 10 Avenue, Columbus, OH 43210,*Corresponding author: 614-292-0033 (office), 614-292-0038 (fax),
| | - Jennifer E. Graham
- Department of Biobehavioral Health, The Pennsylvania State University, 315 East Health & Human Development Bldg, University Park, PA 16802
| | - William B. Malarkey
- The Ohio State Institute for Behavioral Medicine Research, 2175 Graves Hall, 333 West 10 Avenue, Columbus, OH 43210, The Ohio State University, Department of Internal Medicine, Davis Medical Clinic, 480 Medical Center Drive, Columbus, OH 43210, Molecular Virology, Immunology, and Medical Genetics, 2078 Graves Hall, 333 West 10 Avenue, Columbus, OH 43210
| | - Kyle Porter
- The Ohio State University Center for Biostatistics, M200 Starling Loving, 320 West 10 Avenue, Columbus, OH 43210
| | - Stanley Lemeshow
- The Ohio State Institute for Behavioral Medicine Research, 2175 Graves Hall, 333 West 10 Avenue, Columbus, OH 43210, The Ohio State University Center for Biostatistics, M200 Starling Loving, 320 West 10 Avenue, Columbus, OH 43210, The Ohio State University College of Public Health, M006 Starling Loving, 320 West 10 Avenue, Columbus, OH 43210
| | - Ronald Glaser
- The Ohio State Institute for Behavioral Medicine Research, 2175 Graves Hall, 333 West 10 Avenue, Columbus, OH 43210, The Ohio State University, Department of Internal Medicine, Davis Medical Clinic, 480 Medical Center Drive, Columbus, OH 43210, Molecular Virology, Immunology, and Medical Genetics, 2078 Graves Hall, 333 West 10 Avenue, Columbus, OH 43210
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Social networks and immunosuppression during stress: relationship conflict or energy conservation? Brain Behav Immun 2008; 22:279-84. [PMID: 18055166 PMCID: PMC2265520 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbi.2007.10.011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/13/2007] [Revised: 10/23/2007] [Accepted: 10/23/2007] [Indexed: 11/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Despite the apparent health benefits of social relationships, some studies indicate that larger social networks can be associated with greater vulnerability to infectious disease, particularly if stressors are also present. Two possibilities for such effects are, first, that more social contacts lead to more negative affect and social conflict during stressors, or second, that maintaining more social contacts is an energetically costly activity, and ecologically motivated immunosuppression is one means of providing energy to maintain social resources. First-year law students (N=76) completed questionnaires and had delayed-type hypersensitivity skin tests at five time points during their first 6 months of law school. Both moving away from home and a smaller social network associated with larger DTH responses (both p<0.05) across all time points. However, negative affect, either broadly defined or as specific affects (hostility, sadness, guilt), did not mediate social network effects, suggesting that negative affect and social conflict are less plausible explanations than ecological immunosuppression. Ecological models would predict that temporary immunosuppression is less harmful to health in the long run than loss of social resources.
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Stull DE, Roberts L, Frank L, Heithoff K. Relationship of nasal congestion with sleep, mood, and productivity. Curr Med Res Opin 2007; 23:811-9. [PMID: 17407638 DOI: 10.1185/030079907x178793] [Citation(s) in RCA: 51] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE To explore the impact of nasal congestion alone relative to a full set of allergic rhinitis (AR) symptoms on sleep, fatigue, daytime somnolence, and work and school productivity in a 15-day prospective, naturalistic study. RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS Patients (N = 404) received a clinical exam to confirm congestion and assess its possible causes, including confirmed allergic rhinitis. They completed a battery of patient-reported outcomes (PROs) that assess the impact of nasal congestion and morning AR symptoms on patients' reports of sleep, daytime sleepiness, fatigue, and work, school, and activity impairment. Data were analyzed using multiple regression. Each PRO was regressed separately on congestion and morning AR symptoms, controlling for patient demographics. RESULTS Nasal congestion has a significant (p < 0.05), negative impact on patients' lives. Nasal congestion alone had only a slightly smaller negative impact on sleep adequacy relative to AR symptoms more broadly (congestion: beta = 0.137-0.534; AR: beta = 0.123-0.642). Congestion increases the likelihood of sleep problems, fatigue, shortness of breath, headache, and daytime somnolence. CONCLUSIONS A single congestion item by itself is a statistically and substantively significant predictor of patient-relevant outcomes. Although the sample was not randomly drawn from clinics or physician offices, the consistency and strength of the findings suggest the salience of this single symptom for patients' experiences.
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Segerstrom SC, Nes LS. When Goals Conflict But People Prosper: The Case of Dispositional Optimism. JOURNAL OF RESEARCH IN PERSONALITY 2006; 40:675-693. [PMID: 17016545 PMCID: PMC1578496 DOI: 10.1016/j.jrp.2005.08.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 57] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/25/2022]
Abstract
Optimistic persistence in pursuing goals may have beneficial consequences such as protection against negative affect and greater likelihood of goal attainment, but persistence can also result in greater likelihood of goal conflict, which can have negative consequences. Two studies, one cross-sectional (N = 100) and one longitudinal (N = 77), found that optimism associated with higher goal conflict. However, objectively rated goal conflict did not significantly undermine adjustment, and when balance among goal value, expectancy, and conflict was considered, optimism associated with better balance. In turn, balance accounted for part of optimists' better goal progress over the course of a semester. Although goal conflict may have costs, these costs appear to be offset by accompanying benefits, particularly for optimists.
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