Chapter 13 on Optimism

Question 1

LOT-R

Answer 1

Questions such as do you usually expect the best

do you rarely count on good things happening

Question 2

Confidence & optimism on goal attainmennt

Answer 2

Lead to continued effort towards goal attainment

Question 3

Doubt and pessimism on goalattainment

Answer 3

Leads to disengagement from effort or goal

If not possible to disengage –> leads to stress

Question 4

CABG Surgery Study Procedure

Answer 4

People undergoing cornary artery bypass graft surgery. Presurgery interview for optimism, operation info, and postsurgery interviews. Analyze for optimism affect on health

Question 5

CABG Surgery Results

Answer 5

Optimism –> less new Q-waves, less new AST enzyme, and good health overall after 6 months

Question 6

French study head & neck cancer procedure

Answer 6

FLOT (French LOT) 
measured quality of life
demographic and medical history
optimism as a continuous variable (scale not bimodal)
survival status after a year

Question 7

French study head & neck cancer results

Answer 7

optimism –> better survival rate

however sample size small so not technically statistically significant

Question 8

Well off Women Study

Answer 8

Sample of women in good health, education, fiscal state.

Question 9

Optimism effect on health behavior

Answer 9

Optimism –> better health promoting behavior (ie if you think you’ll get lung cancer anyway, more likely to smoke)

Question 10

Carotid ultrasound Women study result

Answer 10

Measure plaque in artery. Optimism lowers plaque

Question 11

MESA Study

Answer 11

Multi-ethnic study of Atherosclerosis

inflamatory markers: IL-6, CRP, fibrinogen, and homocysteine (first 3 implicate CVDmortality) linked to atherosclerosis

hemostatic markers: factor ville, D-rimer, and plasmin-antiplasmin linked to stroke and heart attacks

optimism lowers stroke and heart attack chances

Question 12

biobehavior cascade

Answer 12

optimism –> reduce distress –> good biological response –> better health