Running head: OPTIMISM AND HEALTH 1

Optimism and Health

Name

PSY/220 – Positive Psychology: What’s Right with Me (Axia)

April 3, 2011

Instructor’s Name

Axia College of University of Phoenix

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Optimism and Health

There is much to be said about how optimism impacts our physical and psychological

health. People who are optimistic are more likely to persevere in the face of diversity because

they foresee a positive outcome. Ultimately our psychological self has a huge impact on our

physical self. If we are going into a situation with a pessimistic attitude we will most likely be

stressed, which could lead to high blood pressure and anxiety. This will in turn impact our

psychological self because we end up using negative self-talk as opposed to positive self-talk.

With negative self-talk we can end up allowing this to take a toll on our physical health as we

stop taking care of our bodies, both inside and out. In this paper we will look at two peer

reviewed articles that emphasize how optimism impacts our physical and psychological lives.

The first article we will look at is Do Dispositional Pessimism and Optimism Predict

Ambulatory Blood Pressure During Schooldays and Nights in Adolescents? Here we learned that

low optimism was associated with anxiety, anger, and depression. High optimism predicted

better self-rated physical health and less frequent doctor visits. This article provided results from

studies on the relationship between ABP and the effects of optimism and pessimism. The

dispositional optimistic-pessimistic orientation is usually measured by the Life Orientation Test.

Participants in this study took the test found that those who scored low on the optimism subscale

had higher average ABP. It was also reported that when these normally optimistic people were

in a negative mood, that they noticed ABP levels that were just as high as less optimistic adults.

People with high ABP levels can end up dealing with hypertension and cardiovascular problems.

The second article is Perceived Academic Control: mediating the effects of optimism and

social support on college students’ psychological health. Going to college can be stressful for

anyone, and going into it with an optimistic attitude can result in someone with positive well-

being. This study looked at the psychological resources available to college students, which are
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optimism and social support. Factors such as optimism have been shown to buffer individuals

against stress and depression. Students with greater optimism are likely to experience less stress

and depression than their less optimistic counterparts. However, it is said that optimism is

thought to be trait-like and is resistant to change.

I feel that these articles are both valid in their findings. I can say this not only by what I

read, but through personal experience. I have learned that optimism can get me through anything

that I might normally think of as difficult. I can use positive self-talk to help persevere through

hard times. Being optimistic will also help me remain positive and in turn I am less stressed.

Being less stressed has allowed me to have low blood pressure which is good for my

cardiovascular health.

References

Bolt, M. (2004). Pursuing Human Strengths: A Positive Psychology Guide. New York: Worth
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Publishers.

Social Psychology of Education; 2009, Vol. 12 Issue 2, p233-249

Journal of Personality; Jun2008, Vol. 76 Issue 3, p605-630