Optimism, positive affectivity, and salivary cortisol
- PMID: 16238860
- DOI: 10.1348/135910705X26083
Optimism, positive affectivity, and salivary cortisol
Abstract
Objectives: Research on stress and salivary cortisol has focused almost exclusively on the effects of negative psychological conditions or emotional states. Little attention has been drawn to the impact associated with positive psychological conditions, which have been shown recently to have significant influences on neuroendocrine regulation. The aim of this study is to examine the impact of optimism and positive affect on salivary cortisol with the effects of their negative counterparts controlled for.
Design: Optimism and pessimism, and positive and negative affectivity were studied in relation to the diurnal rhythm of salivary cortisol in a group of 80 Hong Kong Chinese, who provided six saliva samples over the course of a day on two consecutive days. The separate effects of optimism and positive affect on two dynamic components of cortisol secretion, awakening response, and diurnal decline were examined.
Methods: Optimism and pessimism were measured using the Chinese version of the revised Life Orientation Test while generalized affects and mood states were assessed by the Chinese Affect Scale. An enzyme-linked immunoabsorbent assay kit (EIA) developed for use in saliva was adopted for the biochemical analysis of cortisol. Testing of major group differences associated with positive psychological conditions was carried out using two-way (group by saliva collection time) ANOVAs for repeated measures with negative psychological conditions and mood states as covariates.
Results: Participants having higher optimism scores exhibited less cortisol secretion in the awakening period when the effect of pessimism and mood were controlled. This effect was more apparent in men than in women who had higher cortisol levels in the awakening period. Optimism did not have similar effect on cortisol levels during the underlying period of diurnal decline. On the other hand, higher generalized positive affect was associated with lower cortisol levels during the underlying period of diurnal decline after the effects of negative affect and mood states had been controlled. Generalized positive affect did not significantly influence cortisol secretion during the awakening period.
Conclusions: These findings suggest that positive psychological resources including optimism and generalized positive affect had higher impact on cortisol secretion than their negative counterparts, and point to the need for increased attention to the potential contribution of positive mental states to well-being.
Similar articles
-
Cortisol awakening rise in middle-aged women in relation to psychological stress.Psychoneuroendocrinology. 2009 Nov;34(10):1486-94. doi: 10.1016/j.psyneuen.2009.05.002. Epub 2009 Jun 10. Psychoneuroendocrinology. 2009. PMID: 19520518
-
The relation between early life adversity, cortisol awakening response and diurnal salivary cortisol levels in postpartum women.Psychoneuroendocrinology. 2009 Jan;34(1):76-86. doi: 10.1016/j.psyneuen.2008.08.012. Epub 2008 Oct 5. Psychoneuroendocrinology. 2009. PMID: 18835661
-
Cortisol secretory activity in older people in relation to positive and negative well-being.Psychoneuroendocrinology. 2007 Sep-Nov;32(8-10):922-30. doi: 10.1016/j.psyneuen.2007.06.017. Epub 2007 Aug 8. Psychoneuroendocrinology. 2007. PMID: 17689873
-
Positive affect and biological function in everyday life.Neurobiol Aging. 2005 Dec;26 Suppl 1:108-12. doi: 10.1016/j.neurobiolaging.2005.08.016. Epub 2005 Oct 6. Neurobiol Aging. 2005. PMID: 16213629 Review.
-
Why do we respond so differently? Reviewing determinants of human salivary cortisol responses to challenge.Psychoneuroendocrinology. 2009 Jan;34(1):2-18. doi: 10.1016/j.psyneuen.2008.10.004. Epub 2008 Nov 28. Psychoneuroendocrinology. 2009. PMID: 19041187 Review.
Cited by
-
Unveiling gender differences in psychophysiological dynamics: support for a two-dimensional autonomic space approach.Front Hum Neurosci. 2024 Mar 13;18:1363891. doi: 10.3389/fnhum.2024.1363891. eCollection 2024. Front Hum Neurosci. 2024. PMID: 38545517 Free PMC article.
-
Is Optimism a Protective Factor for Cardiovascular Disease?Curr Cardiol Rep. 2021 Oct 1;23(11):158. doi: 10.1007/s11886-021-01590-4. Curr Cardiol Rep. 2021. PMID: 34599386 Review.
-
Biomarking Trait Resilience With Salivary Cortisol in Chinese Undergraduates.Front Psychol. 2020 Oct 26;11:536510. doi: 10.3389/fpsyg.2020.536510. eCollection 2020. Front Psychol. 2020. PMID: 33192778 Free PMC article. Review.
-
Where Do We Stand in the Domestic Dog ( Canis familiaris ) Positive-Emotion Assessment: A State-of-the-Art Review and Future Directions.Front Psychol. 2020 Sep 8;11:2131. doi: 10.3389/fpsyg.2020.02131. eCollection 2020. Front Psychol. 2020. PMID: 33013543 Free PMC article. Review.
-
Optimism, pessimism, and health biomarkers in older couples.Br J Health Psychol. 2020 Nov;25(4):1055-1073. doi: 10.1111/bjhp.12466. Epub 2020 Sep 10. Br J Health Psychol. 2020. PMID: 32914524 Free PMC article.
Publication types
MeSH terms
Substances
LinkOut - more resources
Full Text Sources
Other Literature Sources