Is it better to be an optimist or a pessimist? One thing is clear: optimism can have a positive impact on your health, both mental and physical.
For some people, the glass is always half empty; for some, it’s half full. Are we simply born that way? In this lecture, Prof. Madelon Peters discusses scientific insights on optimism and the influence of positive thinking on our health and explains if and how positive thinking could be learned.
Prof. dr. Madelon Peters is a professor in experimental health psychology and Chair of the section Experimental Health Psychology at Maastricht University. She studies the influence of optimism and other resiliency factors on health, particularly in relation to developing and coping with chronic pain symptoms. Together with her research group, she seeks to identify mechanisms by which positive thinking provides protection against illness.
Reviews from the attending audience
- “Very interesting perspective on how positivity affects physiological well-being.”
- “Real evidence is given and interesting studies are shown.”
- “It is interesting to see how optimism affects the breakdown of cortisol.”