ENG101 - Fall 2023

Writing Assignment #1
A Summary from Multiple Purposes
Topic: Positive Thinking
Prompt: “Positive thinking is the practice of focusing on the good in any given situation”
(Bandhari, 2023). Many research papers have studied the role of optimism and positive thinking
in enhancing or hindering people’s mental and physical health.
Directions: Read the following extracts about the various effects of positive thinking on
people’s overall health and write a summary.
Steps to follow:
1. Read the extracts and identify the main idea of each extract.
2. Start with a clear topic sentence.
3. Paraphrase the main ideas of the 4 extracts, using the APA guidelines.
4. Write your ideas in a coherent paragraph; Use academic connectors and transitions.
5. Revise your language, making sure it is academic and concise.
6. Finalize your draft before submitting by checking the rubric at the end: Revise your content,
organization, academic language and mechanics. Make sure you did not exceed 25% of the total
number of words in all 4 extracts (25%= 140 words).
The Extracts:
Extract 1: Barbara Ehrenrech, 2012
Studies have shown that stress leads to heart disease, infectious illness and autoimmune
disorders. Positive thinking and positive affect have been found to be related with distress
reduction and predicting healthy outcomes (Tugade & Fredrickson, 2004). Positive emotions
undo the effect of negative emotions on cardiovascular function (Fredrickson, & Levenston,
1998). The cardiovascular, which consists of the heart, arteries, veins, and capillaries, is the
system that provides blood supply throughout the body. By responding to various stimuli, it can
control the velocity and amount of blood carried through the vessels (Pearls, 2000).

Extract 2: Zarghuna Naseem, 2010

The occurrence of daily positive emotions serves to moderate stress reactivity. Moments of
positive emotions may be viewed as opportunities to replenish one’s system, which has been
depleted by grief or stressful events (Folkman, 2000). A meta-analysis conducted by
Lyubomirsky (2005) about the benefits of frequent positive thinking, found that positive affect
engenders success across multiple life domains, including work performance, social relationship,
perception of self and others, sociability, activity, physical wellbeing, coping, problem solving,
creativity and health.
A study of coping with stress following the September 11, 2001, attacks in the United States
found that resilient individuals who had initially demonstrated positive emotions, were less likely
to experience depression and more likely to report increase in psychological growth after the
attacks (Fredrickson et al., 2003).

Extract 3: Michael Scheier, 1993

A growing number of studies have examined the effects of optimism on psychological well-
being. These studies have produced a remarkably consistent pattern of findings: Optimists
routinely maintain higher levels of subjective well- being during times of stress than do people
who are less optimistic. An illustrative case is briefly described below.
One study that was conducted by Amine et al. (1991), examined the development of postpartum
depression in a group of women having their first children. Women in this study completed a
standard measure test of depression in the third trimester of pregnancy. They completed the same
depression test again 3 weeks after childbirth. Initial optimism was inversely associated with
depression 3 weeks postpartum, even when the initial level of depression was controlled
statistically. In other words, optimism predicted changes in depression over time. Optimistic
women were less likely to become depressed following childbirth.

Extract 4: Louise De Raeve, 2003

Anecdotal evidence suggests that many cancer patients experience moral and psychological
pressure to ‘think positively’ about their disease in order to ‘fight’ cancer. Such pressure seems
to be both internally and externally generated. In emphasizing the positive, there may be two
important consequences. Firstly, cancer patients’ negative feelings may be marginalized or
denied, a phenomenon which carries its own psychological implications. Secondly, these patients
may interpret their failure to recover as a moral failure i.e. they did not try hard enough. Such
ideas can result in a sense of guilt and blame which could be diminished if health care
professionals were more careful to understand what is at stake when inculcating or endorsing an
attitude of ‘positive thinking’.
In order to score a full grade (95), you must answer yes to each of the following questions:
The Rubric:
Question Answer
1. Did I add a clear topic sentence (or YES/ NO
synthesis sentence) that summarizes
the main idea of all four extracts?
2. Did I only add the main idea of each YES/ NO
extract?
3. Did I paraphrase each main idea? YES/ NO

4. Did I organize the ideas well? YES/ NO

(Positive then negative or causes then
effects) to facilitate the reader’s task?
5. Did I use effective transitional YES/ NO
sentences, transitions or linking words
where needed?
6. Did I make sure to remain consistent YES/ NO
about subject usage where possible?
7. Did I include in- text citations where YES/ NO
needed? Did I make sure none of my
sentences are without documentation?
8. Did I respect the APA formatting style YES/ NO
(TNR, 12, indentation and double
spacing)?
9. Did I only use academic writing YES/NO
features (such as avoiding phrasal
verbs, contractions and negative
structures, using concise sentences,
and nominalization, etc.)?
10. Did I count my sentences/ words, YES/ NO
making sure I respected the word
count given?