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Published on: October 19, 2011
Optimism is associated with mood, coping, and immune change in response to stress
S C Segerstrom1, S E Taylor, M E Kemeny
1Department of Psychology, University of California, Los Angeles, USA. scsege0@pop.uky.edu
Abstract:
This study explored prospectively the effects of dispositional and situational optimism on mood (N = 90) and immune changes (N = 50) among law students in their first semester of study. Optimism was associated with better mood, higher numbers of helper T cells, and higher natural killer cell cytotoxicity. Avoidance coping partially accounted for the relationship between optimism and mood. Among the immune parameters, mood partially accounted for the optimism-helper T cell relationship, and perceived stress partially accounted for the optimism-cytotoxicity relationship. Individual differences in expectancies, appraisal, and mood may be important in understanding psychological and immune responses to stress.
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