The Power of Optimism in Improving Physical Health

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Grace Stephenson and Victoria Leedy
Hanover College
Can positive thoughts really
create a healthy life?
Dispositional Optimism
The expectation of positive outcomes
(Scheier and Carver, 1982)
Positive association between optimism and
reduced cardiovascular illness
Boehm and Kubzansky (2012)
Dispositional optimism is associated with a
faster rate of recovery from coronary artery
bypass surgery
Scheier et al. (1989)
Optimism measured at one point in time is
related to CVD and CVD-related mortality years
later even after controlling for CVD risk factors
and depression.
Giltay et al. (2004)
Giltay et al. (2006)
Tindle et al. (2009)
The Best Possible Self: a manipulation of
optimism through writing exercises
King (2001)
An observed sustained increase in optimism
from the BPS intervention
Meevissen et al. (2011)
How does optimism provide protection against
illness?
Elevates positive affect
King & Burton (2009)
1. Participants in BPS condition will show a significant
increase in optimism and a decrease in illness. This
decrease in illness will be greater than the decrease
experienced by participants in the CE condition.
2. Participants in the CE condition will show a significant
decrease in illness.
3. Participants in the Control Condition will experience
neither an increase in optimism or a decrease in illness.
Total: 31
Gender
 
Male- 19%
 
Female- 81%
Ethnicity
 
Caucasian- 77%
 
African-American- 6%
 
African – 10%
 
Unknown – 6%
 
 
Per Condition:
BPS- 52%
Challenge- 23%
Control- 25%
Age
 
18-23 years old
Revised Life Orientation Test (LOT-R)
to measure dispositional optimism
Scheier, Carver, & Bridges, 1994
Examples:
“I rarely count on good things happening to me”
“It’s important for me to keep busy”
“Overall, I expect more good things to happen to me
than bad”
1-4 Likert scale
PILL Scale
to measure self-reported illness
Pennebaker, 1982; Pennebaker & Beall, 1986
Examples:
Running nose
Indigestion
Insomnia or difficulty sleeping
1-4 Likert scale
Communicated through email
Participants randomly assigned to one of three
conditions:
BPS, Challenging Event, Control
Subjects completed baseline questionnaires:
Optimism Scale
Participants wrote every day for 4 consecutive
days
Every week thereafter for 3 weeks, participants
completed optimism and illness scales
BPS Writing Prompt
Think about your life in the future. Imagine that
everything has gone as well as it possibly could. You
have worked hard and succeeded at accomplishing
all of your life goals. Think of this as the realization
of all of your life dreams. Now, write about what you
imagined.
King, 2001
Challenging Event Writing Prompt
Looking back over your entire life, please identify
and describe what you now consider to be the
greatest single challenge you have faced in your
life.  What is or was the challenge or
problem?  How did the challenge or problem
develop?  How did you address or deal with this
challenge or problem?  What is the significance of
this challenge or problem in your own life story?
(McAdams, 2008)
Control Writing Prompt
Write about what you did today. Go into as much
detail about your activities as possible. Do not
focus on your emotional experience, but rather the
sequence of events. As you write, do not worry
about punctuation and grammar.
King, 2001
 
 
Participants in BPS
condition will show a
significant increase in
optimism and a decrease in
illness.
 
 
Participants in the CE
condition will show a
significant decrease in
illness.
 
 
Participants in the Control
Condition will experience
neither an increase in
optimism nor a decrease in
illness.
Lack of participants
Unequal participants among conditions
Lack of controlled environment
Deviation from schedule
Compare hand written and typed responses
Only conducted in controlled environment
Different age groups
People who have recovered from life-
threatening illness
 
Questions?
Self-efficacy: belief in one’s capabilities to
organize and execute the course of action
required to produce given attainments
Shift from biomedical model to more
biopsychosocial model over previous years
Many impairments today can be eliminated by
the individual because they are choices
BPS: 24%
Challenge: 22%
Control: 33%
 
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Explore the profound impact of optimism on physical health as evidenced by research studies linking positive thoughts to reduced cardiovascular illness and faster recovery rates. Discover how manipulation of optimism through writing exercises can lead to significant improvements in overall well-being. Hypotheses and participant demographics further underscore the importance of a positive outlook in promoting health and resilience.

  • Optimism
  • Physical health
  • Research studies
  • Well-being
  • Resilience

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  1. Optimism Optimism and and Physical Illness Physical Illness Grace Stephenson and Victoria Leedy Hanover College

  2. Can positive thoughts really create a healthy life?

  3. OPTIMISM Dispositional Optimism The expectation of positive outcomes (Scheier and Carver, 1982)

  4. CORRELATIONAL RESEARCH Positive association between optimism and reduced cardiovascular illness Boehm and Kubzansky (2012) Dispositional optimism is associated with a faster rate of recovery from coronary artery bypass surgery Scheier et al. (1989)

  5. OPTIMISM AND CARDIOVASCULAR HEALTH Optimism measured at one point in time is related to CVD and CVD-related mortality years later even after controlling for CVD risk factors and depression. Giltay et al. (2004) Giltay et al. (2006) Tindle et al. (2009)

  6. A MANIPULATION OF OPTIMISM The Best Possible Self: a manipulation of optimism through writing exercises King (2001) An observed sustained increase in optimism from the BPS intervention Meevissen et al. (2011)

  7. A POSSIBLE MEDIATOR How does optimism provide protection against illness? Elevates positive affect King & Burton (2009)

  8. HYPOTHESES 1. Participants in BPS condition will show a significant increase in optimism and a decrease in illness. This decrease in illness will be greater than the decrease experienced by participants in the CE condition. 2. Participants in the CE condition will show a significant decrease in illness. 3. Participants in the Control Condition will experience neither an increase in optimism or a decrease in illness.

  9. PARTICIPANTS Total: 31 Per Condition: BPS- 52% Challenge- 23% Control- 25% Gender Male- 19% Female- 81% Age 18-23 years old Ethnicity Caucasian- 77% African-American- 6% African 10% Unknown 6%

  10. MATERIALS Revised Life Orientation Test (LOT-R) to measure dispositional optimism Scheier, Carver, & Bridges, 1994 Examples: I rarely count on good things happening to me It s important for me to keep busy Overall, I expect more good things to happen to me than bad 1-4 Likert scale

  11. MATERIALS PILL Scale to measure self-reported illness Pennebaker, 1982; Pennebaker & Beall, 1986 Examples: Running nose Indigestion Insomnia or difficulty sleeping 1-4 Likert scale

  12. PROCEDURE Communicated through email Participants randomly assigned to one of three conditions: BPS, Challenging Event, Control Subjects completed baseline questionnaires: Optimism Scale

  13. PROCEDURE, CONT. Participants wrote every day for 4 consecutive days Every week thereafter for 3 weeks, participants completed optimism and illness scales

  14. PROCEDURE, CONT. BPS Writing Prompt Think about your life in the future. Imagine that everything has gone as well as it possibly could. You have worked hard and succeeded at accomplishing all of your life goals. Think of this as the realization of all of your life dreams. Now, write about what you imagined. King, 2001

  15. PROCEDURE CONT. Challenging Event Writing Prompt Looking back over your entire life, please identify and describe what you now consider to be the greatest single challenge you have faced in your life. What is or was the challenge or problem? How did the challenge or problem develop? How did you address or deal with this challenge or problem? What is the significance of this challenge or problem in your own life story? (McAdams, 2008)

  16. PROCEDURE CONT. Control Writing Prompt Write about what you did today. Go into as much detail about your activities as possible. Do not focus on your emotional experience, but rather the sequence of events. As you write, do not worry about punctuation and grammar. King, 2001

  17. RESULTS: OPTIMISM

  18. RESULTS: ILLNESS

  19. DISCUSSION Participants in BPS condition will show a significant increase in optimism and a decrease in illness.

  20. DISCUSSION Participants in the CE condition will show a significant decrease in illness.

  21. DISCUSSION Participants in the Control Condition will experience neither an increase in optimism nor a decrease in illness.

  22. RESULTS: OPTIMISM AND ILLNESS ACROSS TIME

  23. LIMITATIONS Lack of participants Unequal participants among conditions Lack of controlled environment Deviation from schedule

  24. SCHEDULE DEVIATION

  25. FOR ADDITIONAL RESEARCH Compare hand written and typed responses Only conducted in controlled environment Different age groups People who have recovered from life- threatening illness

  26. Questions?

  27. RESULTS: OPTIMISM AND ILLNESS ACROSS CONDITION

  28. INTRODUCTION, CONT. Self-efficacy: belief in one s capabilities to organize and execute the course of action required to produce given attainments Shift from biomedical model to more biopsychosocial model over previous years Many impairments today can be eliminated by the individual because they are choices

  29. RESULTS: SELF-EFFICACY

  30. DROP OUT RATE BPS: 24% Challenge: 22% Control: 33%

  31. EXPECTED RESULTS Illness Illness High SE Low SE BPS Challege Control

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