optimism

Examples of optimism in the following topics:

• Personality Characteristics Beneficial to Change

  • Optimism is a mental attitude adopted by people who view and interpret situations in the world as best or optimized.
  • They believe that the present moment functions at an optimum state and espouse the idea that future conditions will unfold optimally as well .
  • People who display this sort of dispositional optimism have many traits and characteristics in common, most of which build on their positive world view.
  • Researchers and scientists agree that optimism is highly correlated with psychological well-being, successful coping styles, and constructive problem-solving skills.
  • Thus, optimism contributes to an overall sense of well-being through many different facets of human life.

• Arousal Theory of Motivation

  • Theories of learning assert that there is an optimal level of arousal that we all try to maintain.
  • Researchers Robert Yerkes and John Dodson discovered that the optimal arousal level depends on the complexity and difficulty of the task to be performed.
  • Most students have experienced this need to maintain optimal levels of arousal over the course of their academic career.
  • The concept of optimal arousal in relation to performance on a task is depicted here.
  • Performance is maximized at the optimal level of arousal, and it tapers off during under- and over-arousal.

• Attitude and Health

  • Optimism is a world view that interprets situations and events as being optimal, or favorable.
  • Learned optimism refers to the development of one's potential for this optimized outlook; it is the belief that one can influence the future in tangible and meaningful ways.
  • Research shows that optimism correlates with physical health, including a lower likelihood of cardiovascular disease, stroke, depression, and cancer.
  • Research suggests that optimism and positive outlooks are associated with increased health and well-being, while pessimism and learned helplessness decrease health.

• Positive Psychology

  • Positive psychology stems from the humanistic psychology of the 20th century and focuses on optimizing psychological health and well-being.
  • Positive psychology is the scientific study of optimal human functioning.

• Introduction to Memory Encoding

  • Chunking and mnemonics (discussed below) aid in semantic encoding; sometimes, deep processing and optimal retrieval occurs.
  • The process of encoding memories in the brain can be optimized in a variety of ways, including mnemonics, chunking, and state-dependent learning.
  • Give examples of how to optimize the different processes of memory encoding and consolidation

• Drive-Reduction Theory of Motivation

  • Homeostasis is the tendency to maintain a balance, or optimal level, within a biological system.
  • These neurons then produce an integrated response to bring the drive back to its optimal level.

• Maslow's Humanistic Theory of Personality

  • The highest need for self-actualization represents the achievement of our fullest potential, and those individuals who finally achieved self-actualization were said to represent optimal psychological health and functioning.
  • According to Maslow, self-actualized people indicate a coherent personality syndrome and represent optimal psychological health and functioning.

• Executive Function and Control

  • There are five types of situation where routine behavior is insufficient for optimal performance, in which the executive system comes into play:

• Personality Testing in the Workplace

  • The controversies associated with assessing mental health for the purposes of job selection are discussed below; in these cases, however, an assessment of mental stability and fitness can be reasonably related to and necessary for optimal job performance.

• Intellectual Disabilities

  • These individuals have fundamental mental impairments and need optimal care, which requires a structured environment with one-to-one supervision by a caregiver.