Optimismhealth

Optimism and Health Leticia Barrios Pepperdine University PSY220 Positive Psychology Gary Fry PhD. February 12, 2009 Optimism and Health Optimisms effects on ones physical health and psychological health have been the focus of many studies. Interpretations and impressions on the articles cited will be made in an effort to form an opinion relevant to the importance of understanding the relationship optimism has on our everyday lives. While numerous articles were reviewed, only two have been chosen that best illustrate the general consensus of recent studies on the topic. While we all face physical health challenges in our life, the impact on each individual is different. What is it that contributes to the smaller impact and faster healing of some individuals over others' The first article discusses the effects of optimism on physical health. The article starts out by discussing the correlation between Type A personalities and Chronic Heart Disease (CHD) (Smith, 2006) . This Type A personality tends to be people that cut off other people talking or talk over others and they are typically very boisterous. The findings state that this type of person has a higher risk of contracting the disease. Having known people in this category, it is easy to see that amount of stress for this type and the ease at which they can anger. This constant stress on the body begins with an unnatural increase in blood pressure. What seems interesting here is that while this type of personality is seen as more susceptible to the disease, not all contract the disease. One can’t help but wonder if those that don’t contract the disease have methods of taming their reactions while not in the public eye. Things like exercise, and meditation, and other stress reducing activities are not uncommon among Type A personalities. Deeper in the article, the discussion turns too validity of studies. This is why the choice was made to read other articles to get a general consensus of opinions. It would seem that the Five Factor Model, which we learned earlier in the class, plays a significant role in the studies because it gives more validity to the studies by correctly categorizing personality traits. This makes a lot of sense and will no doubt create new and exciting results in this area. The closing line convinces me of the importance of these studies. “Each of these perspectives in current personality Psychology can contribute to the ultimate goal of research on personality and health—a scientifically informed approach to identifying, explicating, and reducing psychosocial risk for physical illness” (Smith, 2006, p. 231). The impact on optimism with respect to psychological health will be looked at with respect to the college student. The correlation of us the college student and the challenges of college requirements being so different from high school initiated stresses. This article, Academic optimistic bias; Implications for college student performance and well being (Ruthig, Haynes, Perry & Chepperfield, 2007), starts out by setting the parameters of the study to ensure a level of validity that garners useful results. The discussion begins on page 129 with results that were quite revealing. There is no argument here that we students were unaware of the academic obstacles that were about to be faced. It can be likened to learning how to ride a bike and then getting behind the wheel of a car for the first time. Points that seemed important were that “optimistic bias measured early in the academic year was associated with more adaptive control cognitions, superior performance, and better well-being at the end of the year” (Ruthig, Haynes, Perry & Chepperfield, 2007, p. 132). While we often times are taught to focus only on the positive and not the negative, another strong point in the article talks about how high achieving students set the bar higher in anticipation of unforeseen challenges. The interpretation here is that it is important to see both the positives and negatives. Ignoring negatives doesn’t make them go away. In conclusion, my feelings and opinions on these two categories of optimism are strengthened. In the health aspect, it is apparent that the optimism level of an individual has a direct impact on not only acquiring health problems, but impacts the level of recuperation. It would seem to me that one day we will see a psychological profile established for a patient to assist the doctors in helping them to deal with and recover from various illnesses. Or for more serious illnesses medical doctors may refer patients for psychological therapy to assist them with dealing with and recovering from illness. In addition, the manufacture of medicines may also be designed to deal with the various personality types in relation to serious illnesses. My opinions in relation to Psychological Health follow along with what I have learned. It brings to mind that the levels of self-esteem, ego, and conviction are critical to facing new challenges. Setting goals that are obtainable and realistic are critical to success. Positive attitudes will no doubt bring about positive outcomes if the expectations are within reason. Strong Willpower must be linked with a strong Waypower. Optimism, it’s a key component to both a healthy body and a healthy mind. References Ruthig, J. C., Haynes, T. L., Perry, R. P., & Chepperfield, J. G. (2007). Academic optimistic bias; implications for college student performance and well being. Social Psychology of Education, 10(1/2), 155-137. Retrieved from Ebscohost Database February 21, 2010 Smith, T. W. (2006, October). Personality as risk and resilience in physical health. Current Directions in Psychological Science, 15(5), 227-231. Retrieved from Ebscohost Database February 21, 2010