Engagement and arousal: optimism's effects during a brief stressor

Psychological determinants of the effectiveness of conjugated linoleic acid supplementation in overweight and obese women-a randomized controlled trial

Introduction

Previous studies investigating the effectiveness of conjugated linoleic acid (CLA) supplementation in body weight reduction provided unequivocal results. We hypothesized that psychological factors such as self-efficacy, locus of control or dispositional optimism can affect the success of the intervention. Therefore, this study aimed to determine the psychological factors that modulate the effectiveness of CLA supplementation in overweight or obese women and affect the ability to successfully complete the study.

Methods

In total, 74 subjects were recruited into this three-month randomized trial and divided into intervention and control groups receiving, respectively, capsules containing 3 g 80% CLA per day and capsules containing 3 g of sunflower oil. The following psychological tests were performed before the intervention: Multidimensional Health Locus of Control scale, Acceptance of Illness Scale, Satisfaction with Life Scale (SWLS), General Self Efficacy Scale (GSES), Health Behavior Inventory scale and Life Orientation Test (LOT-R).

Results

A total of 60 women completed the study and the subjects who dropped out obtained higher scores in the GSES (p = 0.0490) and the LOT-R (p = 0.0087) tests than subjects who completed the trial. Besides, multivariate linear regression demonstrated that the SWLS test (p = 0.0345) results were independent predictors of body weight changes.

Conclusion

In conclusion, psychological factors like self-efficacy and optimism may be associated with a higher risk of withdrawal from the study, while satisfaction with life may have an impact on the effectiveness of body weight reduction.Clinical trial registration: [https://drks.de/search/en], identifier [DRKS00010462].

Examining Reactivity and Recovery Patterns of Pain-Evoked Cortisol and Alpha-Amylase Trajectories: Relations Between Psychological Markers of Risk and Resilience

Chronic low back pain (cLBP) is one of the leading causes of disability globally and represents an enormous burden to aging adults. While numerous factors contribute to cLBP, dysregulation in the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis and autonomic nervous system functioning have been implicated in its pathogenesis. It is well documented that negative psychological states can modulate biological stress responsivity in chronic pain; however, little is known regarding the influence of positive psychological factors in this relationship. The aim of this study was to examine the association between psychological risk and resilience factors with patterns of physiological stress reactivity and recovery in 60 older adults with cLBP. Participants completed measures of hope, optimism, pain catastrophizing, and perceived stress, and underwent psychophysical pain testing assessing responses to painful pressure, heat, and cold stimuli. Salivary samples were obtained prior to pain induction and at 7 time points spanning 90 minutes after pain testing terminated. To examine reactivity and recovery profiles in hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis and autonomic nervous system function, samples were assayed for cortisol and alpha-amylase, respectively. Results revealed higher levels of hope and optimism were associated with increased cortisol reactivity (p's < .003) and more rapid recovery (p's = .001). Further, pain catastrophizing and perceived stress were associated with cortisol reactivity, with lower levels of these factors predicting larger increases in cortisol from baseline to peak levels (p's < .04). No significant differences in reactivity or recovery patterns emerged for alpha-amylase. Overall, findings highlight the role of psychological risk and resilience factors in modulating physiological stress reactivity. PERSPECTIVE: This article investigated whether psychosocial risk and resilience factors were associated with stress reactivity and recovery in response to laboratory-based pain testing in older adults with chronic low back pain. Results indicate that high resilience factors may be protective by modulating adrenocortical reactivity and recovery profiles.

Association Between Optimism and Incident Stroke Among Stroke Survivors: Findings From the English Longitudinal Study of Ageing

BACKGROUND

Personality has been implicated in stroke death. However, the role of personality in stroke incidence is unclear.

PURPOSE

Our primary aim was to investigate associations between optimism, determination, control, and the "Big Five" personality traits on incident stroke. A secondary aim was to assess the potential mediating role of health behaviors in the personality-stroke relationship.

METHODS

A total of 3,703 stroke-free participants from the English Longitudinal Study of Ageing provided data on personality using the Midlife Development Inventory at Wave 5 (2010/11). Self-reported incident stroke was assessed from Waves 6 to 8 (2012-2017). Associations were modeled using discrete-time survival proportional odds logistic models. Analyses were adjusted for sociodemographic factors, history of other cardiometabolic diseases, and health behaviors.

RESULTS

Over 6 years follow-up there were 125 incident strokes. Higher optimism (hazard ratio [HR] = 0.66; 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.53, 0.82), openness (HR = 0.72; 95% CI 0.53, 0.98), and conscientiousness (HR = 0.59; 95% CI 0.42, 0.84) were associated with reduced incident stroke risk in unadjusted models. After adjustment for sociodemographic factors and history of cardiometabolic disease, only the association between optimism and incident stroke remained significant (HR = 0.72; 95% CI 0.57, 0.92). The effect of optimism remained significant in a final model adjusting for health behaviors (HR = 0.75; 95% CI 0.60, 0.96). There was evidence of a small but significant mediating effect of physical activity.

CONCLUSIONS

Higher trait optimism was associated with reduced stroke risk. This association was partially mediated by physical activity albeit the effect was small, and caution warranted inferring causality. The interplay of personality, behavior, and clinical risk factors in stroke incidence and survivorship needs further investigation.

Are algorithmically controlled gig workers deeply burned out? An empirical study on employee work engagement

BACKGROUND

With the emergence of the gig economy as a new economic form, the influence of algorithmic technology control on gig workers' perceptions and engagement has become a topic of academic concern. This study explores the emotional impact of perceived algorithmic control on gig workers and how it affects their work engagement.

METHODS

This study takes gig workers as the research object to build a structural equation model. Based on the background of gig economy and the Job Demands-Resources model, this paper constructs a mechanism model of the influence of perceived algorithmic control on the work engagement of gig workers. The research data in this paper are collected by questionnaire, and the research hypothesis is tested by the SEM structural model.

RESULTS

The gig workers in this study believed that perceived algorithmic control positively affects employee work engagement. In addition, burnout was positively correlated with employee work engagement. Burnout played a partial mediating role in the relationship between perceived algorithmic control and employee work engagement. And flow experience played a moderating role through the indirect effect of burnout on employees' work engagement.

CONCLUSION

Perceived algorithmic control causes burnout among gig workers, but strong algorithmic technology support provides them with rich work resources that can help them meet their work needs. That is, the gig workers may still demonstrate a high level of work engagement even if they experience burnout symptoms.

The effectiveness and equivalence of different versions of a brief online Best Possible Self (BPS) manipulation to temporary increase optimism and affect

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES

The Best Possible Self (BPS) has been found to be an effective manipulation to temporarily improve optimism and affect. The BPS has been used in different formats. In some versions, participants just write about their best possible future, while in others this is combined with imagery. An imagery only version has not been tested yet. The aim of the current study was to examine the effectiveness of three different versions of the BPS and their equivalence in improving optimism and affect.

METHODS

In an online study format, participants (N = 141) were randomly assigned to one of four conditions: (1) writing and imagery BPS; (2) writing BPS; (3) imagery BPS; and (4) a typical day (TD) control condition.

RESULTS

Results showed that each BPS condition significantly improved optimism (i.e. increased positive future expectancies and decreased negative future expectancies) and affect (i.e. increased positive affect and decreased negative affect). Equivalence testing showed that all online BPS conditions were equivalent in increasing optimism and affect, thereby confirming that both the writing and imagery elements of the BPS can independently from each other increase optimism and positive affect in a healthy population.

LIMITATIONS

Only the immediate effects of the BPS formats on increasing optimism and affect were measured.

CONCLUSIONS

The BPS manipulation can be employed in different ways for potential future exploration, depending on the research question, design and context and/or E-mental health applications for the treatment of individuals suffering from psychological complaints.

The para-hippocampal-medial frontal gyrus functional connectivity mediates the relationship between dispositional optimism and procrastination

Procrastination is a prevalent phenomenon throughout the world, which can lead to worse consequences across life domains, such as academic performance, mental health, and even public policy. Despite the evidence for the association between dispositional optimism and procrastination, the neural mechanisms underlying this link remain unexplored. To address this issue, we employed voxel-based morphometry (VBM) and resting-state functional connectivity (RSFC) methods to explore the underlying links between dispositional optimism and procrastination in a large sample (N=408). The self-report results showed that dispositional optimism was negatively associated with procrastination (r= -.30, p<.001). The VBM analysis indicated that dispositional optimism was positively correlated with gray matter volumes (GMV) in the right para-hippocampal (rPHC), and negatively correlated with GMV in the left cerebellum. Moreover, the functional connectivity analysis with the rPHC as a seed region revealed that rPHC-rMFC (right medial frontal gyrus) functional connectivity was negatively associated with dispositional optimism. Furthermore, the mediation analysis showed that the rPHC-rMFC connectivity partially mediated the relationship between dispositional optimism and procrastination. These results suggested that the rPHC-rMFC connectivity engaged in less task aversiveness by episodic prospection may underlie the association between dispositional optimism and procrastination, which provides a new perspective to understand the relationship between dispositional optimism and procrastination. DATA AVAILABILITY STATEMENT: The data that support the findings of this study are available from the corresponding author upon reasonable request.

Lifespan psychosocial stressors, optimism, and hemodynamic acute stress response in a national sample

OBJECTIVE

To understand the association between psychosocial stressors and cardiovascular health by evaluating: (a) lifespan patterns of childhood and adulthood stressors in relation to hemodynamic acute stress reactivity and recovery and (b) the role of optimism in these associations.

METHOD

Participants (n = 1,092, 56% women, 21% racial/ethnic minority, Mage = 56.2) were from the Midlife in the United States Study II Biomarker Project. Lifespan profiles of psychosocial stressor exposure (low lifespan exposure, high childhood only, high adulthood only, persistent exposure) were constructed from responses to the Childhood Trauma Questionnaire and a life events inventory. Optimism was measured with the Life Orientation Test-Revised. Hemodynamic acute stress reactivity to and recovery from cognitive stressors were assessed using a standardized laboratory protocol involving continuous measurements of systolic and diastolic blood pressure (BP) and baroreflex sensitivity (BRS).

RESULTS

Compared with the low lifespan exposure group, the high childhood- and persistent-exposure groups showed lower BP reactivity, and to a lesser extent, slower BP recovery. Persistent exposure was also associated with slower BRS recovery. Optimism did not modify the association between stressor exposure and any hemodynamic acute stress responses. However, in exploratory analyses, greater stressor exposure across all developmental periods was indirectly associated with reduced BP acute stress reactivity and slower recovery via lower optimism levels.

CONCLUSIONS

Findings support childhood as a unique developmental period wherein high adversity exposure may exert an enduring influence on adulthood cardiovascular health by limiting individuals' capacity to cultivate psychosocial resources and altering hemodynamic responses to acute stressors. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2023 APA, all rights reserved).

Psychological Resilience: An Affect-Regulation Framework

Exposure to adversity (e.g., poverty, bereavement) is a robust predictor of disruptions in psychological functioning. However, people vary greatly in their responses to adversity; some experience severe long-term disruptions, others experience minimal disruptions or even improvements. We refer to the latter outcomes-faring better than expected given adversity-as psychological resilience. Understanding what processes explain resilience has critical theoretical and practical implications. Yet, psychology's understanding of resilience is incomplete, for two reasons: (a) We lack conceptual clarity, and (b) two major approaches to resilience-the stress and coping approach and the emotion and emotion-regulation approach-have limitations and are relatively isolated from one another. To address these two obstacles,we first discuss conceptual questions about resilience. Next, we offer an integrative affect-regulation framework that capitalizes on complementary strengths of both approaches. This framework advances our understanding of resilience by integrating existing findings, highlighting gaps in knowledge, and guiding future research.

Motivational factors were more important than perceived risk or optimism for compliance to infection control measures in the early stage of the COVID-19 pandemic

Compliance to infection control measures may be influenced both by the fear of negative consequences of a pandemic, but also by the expectation to be able to handle the pandemic's challenges. We performed a survey on a representative sample for Norway (N = 4,083) in the first weeks of the COVID-19 lock-down in March 2020. We had preregistered hypotheses to test the effect of optimism and perceived risk on compliance. Perceived risk had small effects on increasing compliance and on leading to more careful information gathering. The expected negative association between optimism and compliance was not supported, and there was instead a small positive association. We found a small effect that optimism was associated with seeing less risk from the pandemic and with a larger optimistic bias. Finally, an exploratory analysis showed that seeing the infection control measures as being effective in protecting others explained a substantial proportion of the variation in compliance. The study indicates that how we think about pandemic risk has complex and non-intuitive relationships with compliance. Our beliefs and motivations toward infection control measures appears to be important for compliance.

Optimism, Daily Stressors, and Emotional Well-Being Over Two Decades in a Cohort of Aging Men

OBJECTIVES

Growing evidence supports optimism as a health asset, yet how optimism influences well-being and health remains uncertain. We evaluated 1 potential pathway-the association of optimism with daily stress processes-and tested 2 hypotheses. The stressor exposure hypothesis posits that optimism would preserve emotional well-being by limiting exposure to daily stressors. The buffering hypothesis posits that higher optimism would be associated with lower emotional reactivity to daily stressors and more effective emotional recovery from them.

METHODS

Participants were 233 men from the Veterans Affairs Normative Aging Study who completed the Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory-2 Revised Optimism-Pessimism scale in 1986/1991 and participated in up to three 8-day daily diary bursts in 2002-2010 (age at first burst: M = 76.7, SD = 6.5). Daily stressor occurrence, positive affect (PA), and negative affect (NA) were assessed nightly. We evaluated the hypotheses using multilevel structural equation models.

RESULTS

Optimism was unrelated to emotional reactivity to or recovery from daily stressors. Higher optimism was associated with higher average daily PA (B = 2.31, 95% Bayesian credible interval [BCI]: 1.24, 3.38) but not NA, independent of stressor exposure. Lower stressor exposure mediated the association of higher optimism with lower daily NA (indirect effect: B = -0.27, 95% BCI: -0.50, -0.09), supporting the stressor exposure hypothesis.

DISCUSSION

Findings from a sample of older men suggest that optimism may be associated with more favorable emotional well-being in later life through differences in stressor exposure rather than emotional stress response. Optimism may preserve emotional well-being among older adults by engaging emotion regulation strategies that occur relatively early in the emotion-generative process.

Is Working from Home a Blessing or a Burden? Home Demands as a Mediator of the Relationship Between Work Engagement and Work-Life Balance

As COVID-19 pandemic made its incursion into the world of work in early 2020, many employees were compelled to work from home to slow down the transmission of the disease. Since then, it has been asked whether working from home is a blessing or a burden. We respond to this question by building on the Affective Events Theory to examine whether work engagement is related to work-life balance (WLB), and whether home demands mediate this relationship, using data from 219 knowledge workers drawn from universities in the South-eastern region of Nigeria primarily working from home when they were surveyed. Results of regression analysis using PROCESS macro showed that work engagement related positively to home demands; in turn, home demands related negatively to WLB. The results further revealed that work engagement related negatively to WLB and that home demands mediated the negative work engagement-WLB connection. Theoretical as well as practical implications of the study are discussed, limitations are highlighted, and suggestions for future research are outlined.

Differences in stress system (re-)activity between single and dual- or multitasking in healthy adults: A systematic review and meta-analysis

AbstractIn the age of digitization, multitasking requirements are ubiquitous, especially in the workplace. Multitasking (MT) describes the activity of performing multiple (at least two) tasks at the same time. Dual tasking (DT) refers to the sequential switching between two tasks. The aim of our systematic review and meta-analysis was first to investigate whether physiological stress systems become activated in response to or during MT/DT and, secondly, whether this (re-)activity is higher compared to single tasking. We focused on the Sympathetic Nervous System (SNS), the Parasympathetic Nervous System (PNS), the hypothalamic-pituitary adrenal (HPA) axis, and the immune system. The systematic review has been pre-registered with PROSPERO (CRD42020181415). A total of twenty-five articles were identified as eligible, in which n = 26 studies were reported, with N = 1,142 participants. Our main findings are that SNS activity is significantly higher and PNS activity is significantly lower during MT/DT than during single tasking. Only two studies were found, in which HPA axis (re-)activity was surveyed. No eligible study was identified in which immune system (re-)activity was investigated. This is the first systematic synthesis of the literature base showing that stress system activity is increased during MT/DT in comparison to single-tasking.

Psychological Dimensions Relevant to Motivation and Pleasure in Schizophrenia

Motivation and pleasure deficits are common in schizophrenia, strongly linked with poorer functioning, and may reflect underlying alterations in brain functions governing reward processing and goal pursuit. While there is extensive research examining cognitive and reward mechanisms related to these deficits in schizophrenia, less attention has been paid to psychological characteristics that contribute to resilience against, or risk for, motivation and pleasure impairment. For example, psychological tendencies involving positive future expectancies (e.g., optimism) and effective affect management (e.g., reappraisal, mindfulness) are associated with aspects of reward anticipation and evaluation that optimally guide goal-directed behavior. Conversely, maladaptive thinking patterns (e.g., defeatist performance beliefs, asocial beliefs) and tendencies that amplify negative cognitions (e.g., rumination), may divert cognitive resources away from goal pursuit or reduce willingness to exert effort. Additionally, aspects of sociality, including the propensity to experience social connection as positive reinforcement may be particularly relevant for pursuing social goals. In the current review, we discuss the roles of several psychological characteristics with respect to motivation and pleasure in schizophrenia. We argue that individual variation in these psychological dimensions is relevant to the study of motivation and reward processing in schizophrenia, including interactions between these psychological dimensions and more well-characterized cognitive and reward processing contributors to motivation. We close by emphasizing the value of considering a broad set of modulating factors when studying motivation and pleasure functions in schizophrenia.

Optimism as a protective factor against the psychological impact of COVID-19 pandemic through its effects on perceived stress and infection stress anticipation

The 2019 coronavirus disease (COVID-19) and the recommended social isolation presented a challenge to people's mental health status. Optimism is a psychological factor that plays a key role in the evaluation of stressful situations. The purpose of this study was to investigate the mediating role of perceived stress and Covid-19-related stress anticipation in the relationship between optimism and post-traumatic stress symptoms. Our sample included 1015 participants ranging in age from 18 to 79 years, 80% of whom were Spaniards. At the beginning of the worldwide pandemic, participants were confined to their homes for at least seven days and completed an online survey measuring various sociodemographic and psychological variables. We found an indirect effect of optimism on intrusion and hyperarousal through perceived stress and stress anticipation. In addition, we observed an indirect effect of optimism on avoidance through perceived stress. Finally, the results showed a significant indirect effect of optimism on the total post-traumatic stress symptoms score through perceived stress and stress anticipation. Our results indicate that positive beliefs inherent to optimism are related to less psychological impact of the COVID-19 outbreak.

Daily coping moderates the relations between stress and actigraphic sleep: a daily intensive longitudinal study with ecological momentary assessments

BACKGROUND

Theoretical models argue that coping reduces stress responses, yet no studies have tested whether coping moderates the prospective stress effects on sleep in daily life.

PURPOSE

This study tested if coping moderates the stress-sleep association using a daily, intensive longitudinal design across 7-12 days.

METHODS

326 young adults (M_age = 23.24 ± 5.46) reported perceived stress and coping (problem-focused, emotional-approach, and avoidance) every evening between 20:00-02:00, providing over 2400 nights of sleep data and 3000 stress surveys from all participants. Actigraphy and sleep diaries measured total-sleep-time and sleep efficiency. Multilevel models tested the interaction effects of within- and between-person stress and coping on sleep.

RESULTS

Within-person problem-focused and emotional-approach coping moderated the within-person stress effects on actigraphic total-sleep-time (both p = 0.02); higher stress predicted shorter total-sleep-time only during high use of problem-focused or emotional-approach coping (both p = 0.01). Between-person avoidance moderated the between-person stress effect on actigraphic total-sleep-time (p = 0.04); higher stress predicted shorter total-sleep-time for high avoidance coping (p = 0.02). Within-person emotional-approach coping buffered the between-person stress effect on actigraphic sleep efficiency (p = 0.02); higher stress predicted higher sleep efficiency for high emotional-approach coping (p = 0.04).

CONCLUSIONS

This study showed that daily coping moderates the effects of evening stress on sleep that night. More efforts to cope with stress before bedtime had a short-term cost of shorter sleep that night. However, high use of emotional-approach coping buffered the impact of stress to promote sleep efficiency.

How Do Mental Health Nurses Define Success? A Comparative Study of Bed-Based and Community-Based Services

Nursing is the single largest professional group within both hospital and community mental health care services, however the role of mental health nurses in under-defined. The nursing workforce is also coming under increasing pressure from internal and external requirements, and nurses themselves are on the frontline of providing patient care in what can be a risky and unpredictable workplace environment. This project explored via interview the ways in which mental health nurses experience and reflect on their personal and professional feelings of nursing success. Participants were 19 nurses who were employed in a range of bed-based and community mental health services in inner south eastern Melbourne. This study complies with the Consolidated Criteria for Reporting Qualitative Research (COREQ). The findings of the project align with existing evidence from the literature. Factors which helped mental health nurses feel successful included: therapeutic success; good teamwork; targeted education; and feedback. Barriers to success included: patients/clients do not engage or recover; poor communication amongst staff; lack of psychological safety in the workplace; and lack of respect from management. Nurses in community settings were more able than nurses in bed-based settings to: make effective use of clinical supervision; make use of targeted training and educational offerings; and practice therapeutically and holistically. Project results offer an opportunity to understand nurses' motivations and reward systems. Better understanding of these issues can improve the way mental health care services manage their workforce planning, maintain staff personal wellbeing, increase staff retention and ultimately improve patient/client care.

How Do Failed Entrepreneurs Cope with Their Prior Failure When They Seek Subsequent Re-Entry into Serial Entrepreneurship? Failed Entrepreneurs' Optimism and Defensive Pessimism and Coping Humor as a Moderator

Entrepreneurial failure is prevalent, and particularly when the COVID-19 crisis exacerbates the economic recession, it becomes even more prevalent. Entrepreneurs experience an intensive emotional crisis when their ventures fail, and this deleterious impact, including stress and emotional pain, may prevent failed entrepreneurs (FEs) from restarting; hence, how they cope with failure has received increased attention in recent years. However, most of the extant literature focuses on success rather than failure, and there is very limited literature on how FEs cope with the psychological and emotional crisis caused by failure. This study focuses on FEs' use of optimism and defensive pessimism as coping strategies within the mental simulation theory with respect to their re-entry intentions. It examines the impact of career ambition and public self-awareness on optimism, of the fear of failure (FoF) and self-doubt, on defensive pessimism, and of coping humor as a moderator. We used structural equation modeling to analyze the data of 277 Korean FEs who have actual entrepreneurial failure experiences and actively prepared for their re-entry. The results show that career ambitions and public self-awareness have an impact on optimism, and FoF and self-doubt lead to defensive pessimism. Coping humor also has a moderating effect on the path from defensive pessimism to the intention to re-enter. This study advances the literature on coping mechanisms that FEs employ to manage the negative impact of failure and prepare for their subsequent re-entry. Its theoretical model, based on the mental simulation theory combined with social comparison theory, provides a possible integrative framework that includes both the pervasively held view of entrepreneurs' optimism related to overconfidence and their defensive pessimism related to their vulnerability due to their ventures' failure. Thus, this study makes theoretical contributions to the literature of entrepreneurial failure, as well as practical implications for policymakers and educators who assist FEs in successfully coping with entrepreneurial failure and re-entry.

Imagining a positive future reduces cortisol response to awakening and reactivity to acute stress

The positive influence of optimism on health is thought to be due in part to a reduced physiological response to stress, as manifested for instance in activity of hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) systems. Results of previous studies support the notion that dispositional optimism can influence diurnal cortisol secretion as well as cortisol reactivity. The aim of the present study was to examine whether induced optimism can similarly affect HPA activity and thereby potentially have beneficial health effects. We assigned 66 university students to either the Best Possible Self (BPS) or an active control condition, respectively entailing two weeks of daily visualization of a positive future or time management exercises. Before and after the intervention, we assessed diurnal cortisol levels, response to awakening (CAR), and reactivity to the Trier Social Stress Task (TSST), as well as optimism, affect, negative cognitions, perceived stress, and threat appraisal. Effects of the BPS intervention were tested with repeated measures ANOVA (psychological outcomes) and multilevel regression (cortisol outcomes). The BPS intervention was associated with decreases in both the CAR and cortisol responses to acute stress. Compared to controls, BPS participants showed decreased worrying and increased positive affect post-intervention; however, they did not show the expected greater increase in optimism. Within-person decreases in worrying were associated with decreased CARs, whereas both decreased worrying and increased PA were linked to attenuated stress reactivity. Results suggest that the BPS intervention can influence HPA axis reactivity, with effects on well-being variables likely mediating the process. More research is needed to determine longer-term neuroendocrine and health effects of such interventions in at-risk as well as healthy populations.

Optimistic thinking, satisfaction with life and job and nursing care rationing: Multicentre study in Poland

AIMS

The aim was to examine whether the level of optimism and job and life satisfaction is a differentiating factor from the level of implicit rationing of nursing care in a sample of Polish registered nurses.

BACKGROUND

Satisfaction with life and job is reflected by greater effectiveness of nurses at work and creates a positive work environment, which in turn may modulate the level of implicit rationing of nursing care.

METHODS

A cross-sectional multicentre research design was adopted, employing a representative sample of 1,010 registered Polish nurses identified between the beginning of January and the end of June 2019. Four self-report scales were used in this study: Basel Extent of Rationing of Nursing Care, Satisfaction with Life Scale, Satisfaction with Job Scale and Life Orientation Test-Revised. The results were analysed using the k-means method, Student's t test and two-way ANOVA.

RESULTS

Optimistic thinking, and satisfaction with job and life exerted a significant effect on the level of implicit rationing of nursing care among Polish nurses. Nurses from the group 'pessimistic' were at higher risk of nursing care rationing than those from the group 'optimistic'.

CONCLUSION

Strengthening of the personal competencies, providing support and responding to all identified needs might increase job satisfaction of nurses and hence reduce the risk of nursing care rationing.

IMPLICATIONS FOR NURSING MANAGEMENT

Leadership modelling and training in positive thinking might be the methods to support nurses and to prevent nursing care rationing.

A Psychometric Examination of the Anagram Persistence Task: More Than Two Unsolvable Anagrams May Not Be Better

The purpose of this investigation was to examine a single-anagram, a double-anagram, and multi-anagram versions of the Anagram Persistence Task (APT) for factorial validity, reliability, and convergent validity. Additionally, a battery of intelligence tests was administered to examine convergent validity. Based on an unrestricted factor analysis, two factors were uncovered from the 14 anagram (seven very difficult and seven very easy) response times: test-taking persistence and verbal processing speed. The internal consistency reliabilities for the single-anagram, double-anagram, and multi-anagram (seven difficult anagrams) measures were .42, .85, and .86, respectively. Furthermore, all three versions of the APT correlated positively with intelligence test performance (r ≈ .22). However, the double-anagram and multi-anagram versions also evidenced negative, nonlinear effects with intelligence test performance (r ≈ -.15), which suggested the possibility of testee adaptation. Taking psychometrics and administration time into consideration, simultaneously, the double-anagram version of the APT may be regarded as preferred.

Being an optimist or a pessimist and its relationship with morning cortisol release and past life review in healthy older people

OBJECTIVE

Investigate the relationship between optimism and pessimism and the cortisol awakening response (CAR) and past life review in healthy older people.

DESIGN

76 older volunteers summarised their lives, highlighting the most important events, impressions and experiences. Cortisol saliva samples were collected on two consecutive weekdays. High and low optimism and pessimism groups were computed by mean split.

MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES

Percentages of positive (PE) and negative events (NE) and positive (PCE) and negative cognitions and emotions (NCE) were obtained. Optimism and pessimism were measured with the Life Orientation Test Revised. The areas under the curve with respect to the ground and with respect to the increase were computed, with the latter understood as the CAR.

RESULTS

The high pessimism group reported more NE and NCE and less PE and PCE (p's < 0.041). No significant differences in CAR were found between high and low optimism and pessimism groups after removing suspected non-adherent participants (p's > 0.116). Higher CAR was related to lower PCE, but higher NCE (both p < 0.008).

CONCLUSION

Pessimism seems to increase the focus on negative aspects of the past, which may lead to a worse perception of life in ageing, whereas optimism contributes to a healthier CAR.

Enhancing knowledge sharing in high-tech firms

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to explore the development of knowledge sharing from the perspectives of broaden-and-build theory and expectancy theory. Its research purpose is to understand how knowledge sharing is driven by such predictors as optimism, pessimism, and positive affect through their complex interactions with collectivism or power distance. In the proposed model of this study, knowledge sharing relates to optimism and pessimism via the partial mediation of positive affect. At the same time, the influence of optimism, pessimism, and positive affect on knowledge sharing are moderated by the national culture of collectivism and power distance, respectively.

Design/methodology/approach

This study’s hypotheses were empirically tested using data from high-tech firms across Taiwan and Malaysia. Of the 550 questionnaires provided to the research participants, 397 usable questionnaires were collected (total response rate of 72.18 percent), with 237 usable questionnaires from Taiwanese employees and 160 usable questionnaires from Malaysian employees. The data from Taiwan and Malaysia were pooled and analyzed using: confirmatory factor analysis for verifying data validity, independent sample t-tests for verifying the consistency with previous literature regarding cultural differences, and hierarchical regression analysis for testing relational and moderating effects.

Findings

This study demonstrates the integrated application of the broaden-and-build theory and expectancy theory for understanding optimism, pessimism, and positive affect in the development of knowledge sharing. The test results confirm that positive affect partially mediates the relationship between optimism and knowledge sharing and fully mediates the relationship between pessimism and knowledge sharing. Moreover, collectivism and power distance have significant moderating effects on most of the model paths between knowledge sharing and its predictors except for the relationship between pessimism and knowledge sharing.

Originality/value

This study extends the expectancy theory to justify how optimistic and pessimistic expectations are stable traits that dominate the way employees share their knowledge sharing. This study shows how collectivism and power distance of Hofstede’s cultural framework can be blended with the broaden-and-build theory and expectancy theory to jointly explain knowledge sharing. Besides, this study provides additional support to the adaptation theory of well-being that suggests psychosocial interventions, which manage to enhance well-being by leveraging positive affect, hold the promise of reducing stressful symptoms and boosting psychological resources among employees.

Mental Toughness and Individual Differences in Learning, Educational and Work Performance, Psychological Well-being, and Personality: A Systematic Review

Mental toughness (MT) is an umbrella term that entails positive psychological resources, which are crucial across a wide range of achievement contexts and in the domain of mental health. We systematically review empirical studies that explored the associations between the concept of MT and individual differences in learning, educational and work performance, psychological well-being, personality, and other psychological attributes. Studies that explored the genetic and environmental contributions to individual differences in MT are also reviewed. The findings suggest that MT is associated with various positive psychological traits, more efficient coping strategies and positive outcomes in education and mental health. Approximately 50% of the variation in MT can be accounted for by genetic factors. Furthermore, the associations between MT and psychological traits can be explained mainly by either common genetic or non-shared environmental factors. Taken together, our findings suggest a 'mental toughness advantage' with possible implications for developing interventions to facilitate achievement in a variety of settings.

Effectiveness of Positive Thinking Training Program on Nurses' Quality of Work Life through Smartphone Applications

AIM

Job stress is a part of nurses' professional life that causes the decrease of the nurses' job satisfaction and quality of work life. This study aimed to determine the effect of positive thinking via social media applications on the nurses' quality of work life.

METHODS

This was a pretest-posttest quasi-experimental study design with a control group. The samples were selected among the nurses in two hospitals in Fasa University of Medical Sciences and divided randomly into two interventional (n = 50) and control (n = 50) groups. Positive thinking training through telegrams was sent to the intervention group during a period of 3 months. Data were collected by using Brooks and Anderson's questionnaire of work life quality and analyzed by SPSS 18.

RESULTS

The mean total scores of pretest and posttest in the intervention group improved noticeably and there were significant differences between mean scores of quality of work life in pretest and posttest scores in interventional groups (p < 0.001) and in dimensions of work life quality, home life (p < 0.001), work design (p < 0.001), work context (p < 0.001), and work world (p = 0.003).

CONCLUSION

This study concluded that positive thinking training via social media application enhanced nurses' quality of work life. This study is necessary to carry out on a larger sample size for generalizing findings better.

Optimism moderates psychophysiological responses to stress in older people with Type 2 diabetes

Optimism is thought to be beneficial for health, and these effects may be mediated through modifications in psychophysiological stress reactivity. Type 2 diabetes (T2D) is associated with reduced cardiovascular responses to stress and heightened cortisol over the day. This study assessed the relationships between optimism, stress responsivity, and daily cortisol output in people with T2D. A total of 140 participants with T2D were exposed to laboratory stress. Heart rate (HR), systolic (SBP), diastolic blood pressure (DBP), and cortisol were measured throughout the session. Cortisol output over the day was also assessed. Optimism and self‐reported health were measured using the revised Life Orientation Test and the Short Form Health Survey. Optimism was associated with heightened SBP and DBP stress reactivity (ps < .047) and lower daily cortisol output (p = .04). Optimism was not related to HR, cortisol stress responses, or the cortisol awakening response (ps > .180). Low optimism was related to poorer self‐reported physical and mental health (ps < .01). Optimism could have a protective role in modulating stress‐related autonomic and neuroendocrine dysregulation in people with T2D.

Dispositional Optimism and Coping: A Meta-Analytic Review

The relation between dispositional optimism and better adjustment to diverse stressors may be attributable to optimism's effects on coping strategies. A meta-analytic review ( K = 50, N = 11,629) examined the impact of dispositional optimism on coping. Dispositional optimism was found to be positively associated with approach coping strategies aiming to eliminate, reduce, or manage stressors or emotions ( r = .17), and negatively associated with avoidance coping strategies seeking to ignore, avoid, or withdraw from stressors or emotions ( r = -.21). Effect sizes were larger for the distinction between approach and avoidance coping strategies than for that between problem and emotion-focused coping. Meta-analytic findings also indicate that optimists may adjust their coping strategies to meet the demands of the stressors at hand, and that the optimism-coping relationship is strongest in English-speaking samples.

The effects of experimental pain and induced optimism on working memory task performance

Background/aims

Pain can interrupt and deteriorate executive task performance. We have previously shown that experimentally induced optimism can diminish the deteriorating effect of cold pressor pain on a subsequent working memory task (i.e., operation span task). In two successive experiments we sought further evidence for the protective role of optimism on pain-induced working memory impairments. We used another working memory task (i.e., 2-back task) that was performed either after or during pain induction.

Methods

Study 1 employed a 2 (optimism vs. no-optimism) × 2 (pain vs. no-pain) × 2 (pre-score vs. postscore) mixed factorial design. In half of the participants optimism was induced by the Best Possible Self (BPS) manipulation, which required them to write and visualize about a life in the future where everything turned out for the best. In the control condition, participants wrote and visualized a typical day in their life (TD). Next, participants completed either the cold pressor task (CPT) or a warm water control task (WWCT). Before (baseline) and after the CPT or WWCT participants working memory performance was measured with the 2-back task. The 2-back task measures the ability to monitor and update working memory representation by asking participants to indicate whether the current stimulus corresponds to the stimulus that was presented 2 stimuli ago. Study 2 had a 2 (optimism vs. no-optimism) × 2 (pain vs. no-pain) mixed factorial design. After receiving the BPS or control manipulation, participants completed the 2-back task twice: once with painful heat stimulation, and once without any stimulation (counterbalanced order). Continuous heat stimulation was used with temperatures oscillating around 1 °C above and 1 °C below the individual pain threshold.

Results

In study 1, the results did not show an effect of cold pressor pain on subsequent 2-back task performance. Results of study 2 indicated that heat pain impaired concurrent 2-back task performance. However, no evidence was found that optimism protected against this pain-induced performance deterioration.

Conclusions

Experimentally induced pain impairs concurrent but not subsequent working memory task performance. Manipulated optimism did not counteract pain-induced deterioration of 2-back performance.

Implications

It is important to explore factors that may diminish the negative impact of pain on the ability to function in daily life, as pain itself often cannot be remediated. We are planning to conduct future studies that should shed further light on the conditions, contexts and executive operations for which optimism can act as a protective factor.

Stress, Energy, and Immunity: An Ecological View

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.

Analysis of engagement behavior in children during dyadic interactions using prosodic cues

Child engagement is defined as the interaction of a child with his/her environment in a contextually appropriate manner. Engagement behavior in children is linked to socio-emotional and cognitive state assessment with enhanced engagement identified with improved skills. A vast majority of studies however rely solely, and often implicitly, on subjective perceptual measures of engagement. Access to automatic quantification could assist researchers/clinicians to objectively interpret engagement with respect to a target behavior or condition, and furthermore inform mechanisms for improving engagement in various settings. In this paper, we present an engagement prediction system based exclusively on vocal cues observed during structured interaction between a child and a psychologist involving several tasks. Specifically, we derive prosodic cues that capture engagement levels across the various tasks. Our experiments suggest that a child's engagement is reflected not only in the vocalizations, but also in the speech of the interacting psychologist. Moreover, we show that prosodic cues are informative of the engagement phenomena not only as characterized over the entire task (i.e., global cues), but also in short term patterns (i.e., local cues). We perform a classification experiment assigning the engagement of a child into three discrete levels achieving an unweighted average recall of 55.8% (chance is 33.3%). While the systems using global cues and local level cues are each statistically significant in predicting engagement, we obtain the best results after fusing these two components. We perform further analysis of the cues at local and global levels to achieve insights linking specific prosodic patterns to the engagement phenomenon. We observe that while the performance of our model varies with task setting and interacting psychologist, there exist universal prosodic patterns reflective of engagement.

Using interpersonal affect regulation in simulated healthcare consultations: an experimental investigation of self-control resource depletion

Controlled Interpersonal Affect Regulation –the process of deliberately influencing the internal feeling states of others– occurs in a variety of interpersonal relationships and contexts. An incipient corpus of research shows that interpersonal affect regulation can be characterized as a goal-directed behavior that uses self-control processes which, according to the strength model of self-regulation, consumes a limited resource that is also used by other self-control processes. Using interpersonal affect-improving and affect-worsening regulation strategies can increase agent’s resource depletion but there is reason to think that effects will partially rely on target’s feedback in response to the regulation. Using a healthcare paradigm, an experiment was conducted to test the combined effects of interpersonal affect regulation use and patient feedback on healthcare workers’ resource depletion, measured as self-reported experienced and expected emotional exhaustion, and persistence on a self-regulation task. Medical students (N = 78) were randomly assigned to a 2(interpersonal affect regulation: affect-worsening vs. affect-improving) × 2(patients’ feedback: positive vs. negative) factorial between-subjects design and given instructions to play the role of doctors in interactions with two professional actors trained to act as patients. Analysis of covariance showed that affect-worsening was more depleting than affect-improving for all measures, whereas the recovery effects of positive feedback varied depending on strategy type and measure. The findings confirm the characterization of interpersonal affect regulation as potentially depleting, but suggest that the correspondence between the agent’s strategy and the target’s response needs to be taken into consideration. Use of affect-improving and positive feedback showed positive effects on self-rated performance, indicating that interpersonal affect regulation is relevant for organizational as well as personal outcomes.

I want to quit education: a longitudinal study of stress and optimism as predictors of school dropout intention

Prior research on school dropout has often focused on stable person- and institution-level variables. In this research, we investigate longitudinally perceived stress and optimism as predictors of dropout intentions over a period of four years, and distinguish between stable and temporary predictors of dropout intentions. Findings based on a nationally representative sample of 16-20 year-olds in Switzerland (N = 4312) show that both average levels of stress and optimism as well as annually varying levels of stress and optimism affect dropout intentions. Additionally, results show that optimism buffers the negative impact of annually varying stress (i.e., years with more stress than usual), but not of stable levels of stress (i.e., stress over four years). The implications of the results are discussed according to a dynamic and preventive approach of school dropout.

Positive psychological characteristics in diabetes: a review

Positive psychological characteristics, such as optimism, self-efficacy, and resilience, have been increasingly associated with improved outcomes in medically ill individuals. However, there has been minimal systematic review of these characteristics and their associations with outcomes in people with diabetes. We aim to review these associations, their potential mediating mechanisms, and the evidence supporting interventions targeting these qualities. In people with diabetes, positive psychological characteristics are significantly associated with improved glycemic control, fewer complications, and reduced rates of mortality. Potential mechanisms mediating these associations include behavioral factors (e.g., improved treatment adherence), reduced inflammation, and improved neuroendocrine and autonomic functioning. Most psychosocial treatments in this population have focused on improving self-efficacy and resilience; such interventions may improve quality of life, well-being, and diabetes self-care. While untested in diabetes, interventions to boost other positive characteristics have been effective in other medically ill patients and may warrant further study in this cohort.

Heart rate variability as a marker of self-regulation

Self-regulation is central to many of the most important individual and societal problems today. We sought to determine whether the relationship between self-regulation and heart rate variability (HRV) could be replicated and extended. We hypothesized that baseline HRV would predict persistence on an anagram task, and that under conditions requiring greater self-control, HRV would increase. Two groups were given the same set of difficult and unsolvable anagrams. To induce self-regulatory fatigue, the suppression group was asked to try to not think of a white bear while the expression group was asked to try to think of a white bear. Baseline HRV predicted persistence on the unsolvable anagram. Both groups demonstrated changes in HRV relative to baseline, although we were unable to replicate findings that HRV was elevated during high self-regulatory effort. We were, however, able to replicate findings that the expression group persisted longer on the anagram task compared to the suppression group but only when accounting for physical activity scores. The present study advances our knowledge of the relationship between HRV and self-regulation, so that we can more successfully treat those with seriously impaired self-control.

Associations of trait optimism with diurnal neuroendocrine activity, cortisol responses to mental stress, and subjective stress measures in healthy men and women

OBJECTIVE

To examine the associations of dispositional optimism with diurnal salivary cortisol, cortisol responses to standardized laboratory stress, and task-induced subjective stress and control in a sample of individuals 53 years and older.

METHODS

Five hundred forty-three healthy men and women (mean [standard deviation] age, 62.9 [5.7] years) attended a psychophysiological stress session and provided five salivary cortisol samples during a normal day. During the stress testing session, cortisol responses to two behavioral tasks were assessed. The associations of dispositional optimism with cortisol and subjective appraisal were assessed using hierarchical multiple regression analysis.

RESULTS

The cortisol awakening response, but not the diurnal profile, was negatively associated with optimism independently of age, sex, employment grade, body mass index, smoking status, depressive symptoms, and time of awakening (β = -0.12, p ≤ .05). No associations were observed between optimism and stress-induced cortisol changes in the laboratory; however, perceived stress was lower (β = -0.18, p ≤ .001), and perception of control was higher (β = 0.18, p ≤ .001), in more optimistic participants during the psychophysiological testing session.

CONCLUSIONS

Dispositional optimism may confer benefits to the individual through attenuated hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis response to waking in everyday life. However, no evidence emerged for an association between optimism and cortisol laboratory stress responses, which suggests that other compensatory mechanisms might play a role.

Become more optimistic by imagining a best possible self: effects of a two week intervention

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.

Individual differences and self-regulatory fatigue: optimism, conscientiousness, and self-consciousness

Ability to self-regulate varies and self-regulatory strength is a limited source that can be depleted or fatigued. Research on the impact of individual differences on self-regulatory capacity is still scarce, and this study aimed to examine whether personality factors such as dispositional optimism, conscientiousness, and self-consciousness can impact or buffer self-regulatory fatigue. Participants were patients diagnosed with chronic multi-symptom illnesses (N = 50), or pain free matched controls (N = 50), randomly assigned to either a high or low self-regulation task, followed by a persistence task. Higher optimism predicted longer persistence (p = .04), and there was a trend towards the same effect for conscientiousness (p = .08). The optimism by self-regulation interaction was significant (p = .01), but rather than persisting despite self-regulatory effort, optimists persisted longer only when not experiencing self-regulatory fatigue. The effects of optimism were stronger for controls than patients. There was also a trend towards a similar conscientiousness by self-regulation interaction (p = .06). These results suggest that the well-established positive impact of optimism and conscientiousness on engagement and persistence may be diminished or reversed in the presence of self-regulatory effort or fatigue, adding an important new chapter to the self-regulation, personality, and pain literature.

Self-regulatory deficits in fibromyalgia and temporomandibular disorders

Chronic pain conditions such as fibromyalgia (FM) and temporomandibular disorders (TMDs) are accompanied by complex interactions of cognitive, emotional, and physiological disturbances. Such conditions are complicated and draining to live with, and successful adaptation may depend on ability to self-regulate. Self-regulation involves capacity to exercise control and guide or alter reactions and behavior, abilities essential for human adjustment. Research indicates that self-regulatory strength is a limited source that can be depleted or fatigued, however, and the current study aimed to show that patients with FM and TMD are vulnerable to self-regulatory fatigue as a consequence of their condition. Patients (N=50) and pain-free matched controls (N=50) were exposed to an experimental self-regulation task followed by a persistence task. Patients displayed significantly less capacity to persist on the subsequent task compared with controls. In fact, patients exposed to low self-regulatory effort displayed similar low persistence to patients and controls exposed to high self-regulatory effort, indicating that patients with chronic pain conditions may be suffering from chronic self-regulatory fatigue. Baseline heart rate variability, blood glucose, and cortisol predicted persistence, more so for controls than for patients, and more so in the low vs. high self-regulation condition. Impact of chronic pain conditions on self-regulatory effort was mediated by pain, but not by any other factors. The current study suggests that patients with chronic pain conditions likely suffer from chronic self-regulatory fatigue, and underlines the importance of taking self-regulatory capacity into account when aiming to understand and treat these complex conditions.