Dolcos, S., Hu, Y., Iordan, A.D., Moore, M., Dolcos, F. (2015). Optimism and the brain: trait optimism mediates the protective role of the orbitofrontal cortex gray matter volume against anxiety. Social Cognitive and Affective neuroscience, 11(2), 263-271. https://doi.org/10.1093/scan/nsv106

References for The Role of Optimism in Treating Anxiety

Research has suggested that increased trait optimism acts as a mediator to increased orbitofrontal cortex volume of the brain and reduced trait anxiety. In other words, optimistic individuals tend to have a greater orbitofrontal cortex volume and also tend to display less trait anxiety than those individuals demonstrating lower levels of trait optimism. 

Optimism as a mediator to increased orbitofrontal cortex volume and reduced trait anxiety

References for Optimism and Genetics 

Genetics account for about 25% of an individual's predisposition to optimism as a trait.

Optimism and Genetics 

References for Optimism and Health 

References for Optimism vs. Pessimism 

References for Optimism and mental well-being

References for Optimism and adaptivity to environment

References for increasing optimism 

Optimism is a significant predictor of positive health outcomes. Numerous studies have linked optimism to a range of benefits, including increased longevity, healthier behaviors, better immune function, and improved treatment adherence. Furthermore, optimistic individuals tend to experience fewer postsurgical complications, report less pain and fewer physical symptoms, exhibit better physical functioning, and have a lower likelihood of rehospitalization after heart surgery.

Optimism as a Predictor of Positive Health Outcomes

Analyze the responses of both individuals after receiving a poor grade. Based on the tendency to view life's difficulties as either temporary and external or as permanent and personal, identify which individual is demonstrating an optimistic outlook and explain your reasoning by contrasting their perspectives.

Analyzing Responses to a Setback

Read the following scenario. Based on the psychological concept of how individuals interpret life events, identify which person displays a more optimistic outlook and explain your reasoning by referencing specific elements of their response.

Interpreting Life Events

Optimism is the inclination to maintain a positive outlook and expect favorable outcomes. It is often conceptualized as a generalized tendency for one to believe that good things will happen. Another perspective defines optimism as the tendency to view life's difficulties and stressors as temporary and external to oneself.

Brigham Young University

Columbia University

Google

Positive psychology is a field of research that was formally established in 1998 when Martin Seligman, then president of the American Psychological Association, called for a new focus on building human strength and psychological well-being. Often described as the 'science of happiness,' this area of study seeks to identify and promote the qualities that contribute to a more fulfilled life. It represents a significant shift from traditional psychology's emphasis on pathology, faults, and problems, instead concentrating on people's strengths and the factors that enable individuals to lead happy and contented lives.

Positive Psychology

Happiness is conceptualized as an enduring state of mind, often called subjective well-being, that goes beyond temporary positive moods. It encompasses two key aspects: experiencing pleasure and positive emotions in daily life, and a deeper sense of fulfillment derived from using one's skills and talents to enrich both their own life and the lives of others.

Happiness

Spielman, R. M., Jenkins, W. J., & Lovett, M. D. (2020, April 22). Psychology (2nd ed.). OpenStax. https://openstax.org/books/psychology-2e/pages/1-introduction

OpenStax Psychology (2nd ed.) Textbook

American Psychological Association. (n.d.). APA Dictionary of Psychology. American Psychological Association. Retrieved from https://dictionary.apa.org/ 

APA Dictionary of Psychology

- Expressing kindness
- Gratitude
- Humility
- Awe
- Mindfulness
- Optimism
- Telemedicine / Telehealth 

Interventions Used in Positive Psychology

Positive psychology practices can be implemented beneficially in a number of spaces, such as worksites, schools, and healthcare settings.  It focuses on positive emotions and strengths rather than mentally ill health and its consequences, which can mitigate some of the stigma surrounding mental health.

Utility of Positive Psychology in Promoting Public Mental Health

Health promotion is defined by the increase in control an individual has over their health and also in the ways in which an individual can improve their health. 

Health Promotion 

  - Redirecting focus from Pathology and disorder to positive feelings 
  - Shed light on the ways in which an individual can function optimally 
  - Remove stigma surrounding health (ex. Health isn't exclusively about 
     the absence of illness) 

Major Goals of Positive Psychology on Health 

 - Positive Psychology is promoting the undermining of mainstream psychology
 - Positive Psychology is reinforcing negative views on pathology and mental illness studies
 - Adaptation
 - Goals 
 - Temperament 
 - Heritability
 - Forecasting 
 - Recall biases 
 - accuracy of measurements relating to well-being
 - influence on well-being

Criticisms of Positive Psychology

A subcategory of overall health relating to one's emotional well-being by one's ability to successfully overcome everyday stressors, to realize one's inner potential, and to work in a manner that gives back to the self and to their community.

Mental Health

Flow is a state of deep engagement and absorption in an activity, making the experience intrinsically rewarding. The term itself originated from individuals' spontaneous descriptions of this feeling when an activity was going well. This state is not limited to creative or leisure pursuits but can also be found in work or academic study—essentially any activity that is sufficiently engrossing.

"Flow" in Positive Psychology

 What promotes excellence in performance? A researcher studying how sports psychology and positive psychology intersect brought forth this pictural in attempt to answer that question.

 Promoting excellence in performance

Positive affect refers to the experience of pleasurable engagement with one's environment, encompassing feelings like happiness, joy, enthusiasm, alertness, and excitement. This feeling state can manifest in various ways, being brief and momentary, long-lasting, or even a stable, trait-like characteristic of an individual's personality.

Positive Affect

Benefit finding is the process of deriving positive growth from adversity.

Benefit finding

Positive peace psychology is an emerging subfield that extends the core principles of positive psychology to a global scale. It focuses on applying these principles to address widespread conflict, hatred, and distrust. The ultimate goal of this field is to understand how to overcome oppression and promote well-being and peace within the international community.

Positive Peace Psychology

Positive psychology investigates a range of subjects aimed at understanding and fostering human flourishing. Key areas of study include prosocial behaviors and virtues like altruism, empathy, kindness, forgiveness, compassion, and mindfulness. The field also explores creativity, the role of positive emotions, savoring life's moments, and the connection between psychological states and physical health, such as enhanced immune system functioning.

Topics in Positive Psychology

Located at the University of Wisconsin–Madison's Waisman Center, the Center for Investigating Healthy Minds is an organization established in 2008 and led by neuroscientist Dr. Richard J. Davidson. It is dedicated to conducting rigorous scientific research on positive mental qualities like kindness and compassion. The ultimate goal of this research is to develop mental health training approaches that help people live happier and healthier lives.

Center for Investigating Healthy Minds

Research on psychological well-being in recent years has focused on the factors that constitute optimal levels of human flourishing and their relationship to physical health, work performance, social relationships, and a range of other outcomes. Mechanisms of self-regulation such as psychotherapy, positive psychology interventions, and contemplative practices have been studied in relation to changes in well-being.

Psychological Well-being

Optimism

Positive psychology is a field of scientific inquiry that seeks to understand the elements contributing to a better life for everyone. Its goal is to identify the foundations of hope, optimism, happiness, healthy relationships, flow, and authentic personal fulfillment.

The Promise of Positive Psychology

Based on the case study below, contrast the likely primary focus of a psychologist emphasizing the study of pathology and dysfunction with that of a psychologist specializing in building human strength and well-being. What would each professional prioritize in their sessions with the client?

Contrasting Psychological Approaches

Research suggests that while major life events cause temporary emotional fluctuations, an individual's overall happiness tends to remain stable over time by returning to a baseline level. Consequently, the long-term impact of even dramatic events on happiness is often much less significant than people might expect. This stability is largely due to a process of emotional adaptation. However, certain severe events, like long-term unemployment or major disabilities, can cause lasting changes to one's happiness set point.

Stability of Happiness

Happiness can be understood through several distinct, though not mutually exclusive, perspectives. Key viewpoints include: a spiritual perspective emphasizing virtue and reverence; a contentment-focused view centered on inner peace and satisfaction with life; and an engagement perspective that defines happiness through rewarding and exciting involvement in one's career and hobbies.

Perspectives on Happiness

Psychologist Martin Seligman's model of happiness consists of three distinct elements: the pleasant life, the good life, and the meaningful life. This concept is often illustrated with a Venn diagram where each element is a circle. True happiness is found at the intersection of all three circles, representing a combination of daily pleasures, skill-based enrichment, and service to the greater good.

Seligman's Three Elements of Happiness

In psychology, happiness is conceptualized as a stable, long-term condition known as subjective well-being, not simply as a temporary positive feeling. This distinction is crucial, as it is the enduring nature of happiness that is the primary focus of research by psychologists and social scientists, rather than the momentary moods people experience daily.

Enduring Happiness vs. Transient Mood

Research indicates that, on average, people around the world tend to be relatively happy. They generally report experiencing a greater number of positive feelings compared to negative ones.

General Human Happiness Levels

Extensive research has explored the factors that contribute to sustained joy and contentment. Many of these studies are correlational, indicating relationships rather than direct causation. Key factors found to be correlated with happiness include age, family and social relationships, money, education, employment, religion, and culture.

Factors Correlated with Happiness

Contrary to common assumptions, research has found no significant positive correlation between happiness and certain life factors. Key examples include parenthood and objective physical attractiveness, which studies have shown to have little to no link to an individual's overall well-being.

Factors Not Significantly Correlated with Happiness

Refers to how people predict their future emotional states and how these predictions influence their decisions and behavior.

Affective Forecasting

The measurement of happiness on a societal scale serves as a critical tool for public policy. By analyzing data on well-being, governments can identify the sources of happiness or distress within the population and subsequently develop targeted programs to improve quality of life. This approach advocates for considering the impact on public happiness when making decisions on major social and political issues, such as poverty, taxation, healthcare, and environmental policies.

Using Happiness Metrics to Inform Public Policy

The concept of flow suggests that deep engagement in an intrinsically rewarding activity is a more significant contributor to a happy and fulfilling life than material wealth or possessions. Finding an activity that is so absorbing that it becomes its own reward is presented as a primary pathway to achieving genuine well-being.

Flow as a Key to Happiness and Fulfillment

While people around the world generally report being happy, research indicates that there are notable differences in the average levels of happiness reported across various nations.

Learn Before

Related

Learn After