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Cited by 2,087Psychological Well-being and Life SatisfactionOptimism, Hope, and Well-beingAging and Gerontology Research

Does positive affect influence health?

Open access
Pressman, Sarah D., Cohen, Sheldon·2005·Psychological Bulletin
DOI 10.1037/0033-2909.131.6.925
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Abstract

This review highlights consistent patterns in the literature associating positive affect (PA) and physical health. However, it also raises serious conceptual and methodological reservations. Evidence suggests an association of trait PA and lower morbidity and of state and trait PA and decreased symptoms and pain. Trait PA is also associated with increased longevity among older community-dwelling individuals. The literature on PA and surviving serious illness is inconsistent. Experimentally inducing intense bouts of activated state PA triggers short-term rises in physiological arousal and associated (potentially harmful) effects on immune, cardiovascular, and pulmonary function. However, arousing effects of state PA are not generally found in naturalistic ambulatory studies in which bouts of PA are typically less intense and often associated with health protective responses. A theoretical framework to guide further study is proposed.

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  • Positive psychological states and traits may be associated with greater resilience, a stronger sense of health-related self-efficacy, increased social interactions and social support, and enhanced self-regulation and motivation toward health goals.

    “Positive psychological states and traits may be associated with greater resilience, a stronger sense of health-related self-efficacy, increased social interactions and social support, and enhanced self-regulation and motivation toward health goals. 22,36”

    From Feasibility and acceptability of a positive psychological intervention for patients with type 2 diabetes (2016) · cites this paper as [36]

  • The analyses adjusted for sociodemographic factors, baseline health, health behaviors, geographic factors, depression, anxiety, negative affect, religiosity, and positive affect.

    “Our analyses adjust for sociodemographic factors, baseline health, health behaviors, and geographic factors: all factors previously linked with health care use.”

    From Purpose in life and use of preventive health care services (2014) · cites this paper as [39]

  • Positive emotion is uniquely associated with a lower risk of morbidity and mortality in healthy and chronically ill samples, independent of the effects of negative emotion.

    “This work is built upon the importance of positive emotion in the maintenance of psychological and physical well-being [11] and evidence that positive emotion is uniquely associated with a lower risk of morbidity and mortality in healthy and chronically ill samples, independent of the effects of negative emotion [12-15].”

    From Use of the Chatbot “Vivibot” to Deliver Positive Psychology Skills and Promote Well-Being Among Young People After Cancer Treatment: Randomized Controlled Feasibility Trial (2019) · cites this paper as [15]

  • Positive emotion, when stimulated through skills-based interventions, is thought to influence health outcomes, both directly and through mediating factors including changing health behaviors, improving physiological functioning, and increasing resources that influence health.

    “Positive emotion, when stimulated through skills-based interventions, is thought to influence health outcomes, both directly and through the mediating influence of factors including changing health behaviors, improving physiological functioning, and increasing resources that influence health [15,46].”

    From Use of the Chatbot “Vivibot” to Deliver Positive Psychology Skills and Promote Well-Being Among Young People After Cancer Treatment: Randomized Controlled Feasibility Trial (2019) · cites this paper as [15]

  • Optimism and positive affect appear to lead to greater social outreach and perception of social support, and people with higher positive psychological well-being report more social satisfaction.

    “Optimism and positive affect appear to lead to greater social outreach and perception of social support [76], and people with higher ratings of positive psychological well-being report more social satisfaction [64, 76].”

    From Positive Psychological Interventions for Patients with Type 2 Diabetes: Rationale, Theoretical Model, and Intervention Development (2015) · cites this paper as [64]

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Authors
Pressman, S. D., & Cohen, S.
Affiliations
Carnegie Mellon University (US)
ORCID
Venue
Psychological Bulletin
Publisher
American Psychological Association (APA)
Published
2005-11
Volume
131
Issue
6
Pages
925-971
ISSN
  • 0033-2909 (ISSN-L)
  • 1939-1455
DOI
10.1037/0033-2909.131.6.925
OpenAlex
W2134176302
Cited by
2,087
References
362
Citations by year
2026: 36 · 2025: 85 · 2024: 75 · 2023: 76 · 2022: 114 · 2021: 108 · 2020: 155 · 2019: 123 · 2018: 143 · 2017: 134 · 2016: 128 · 2015: 122 · 2014: 124 · 2013: 121 · 2012: 128
FWCI
6.57
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
Licence
cc-by
Locations
  • Psychological Bulletin (publishedVersion)
  • PubMed (publishedVersion)
  • KiltHub Repository (submittedVersion)
  • Figshare (submittedVersion, cc-by)
  • KiltHub Repository
Funders
National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (HL65111, HL65112, P50HL065112, P50HL065111)
Topics
  • Social Sciences › Psychology › Social Psychology › Psychological Well-being and Life Satisfaction
  • Social Sciences › Psychology › Applied Psychology › Optimism, Hope, and Well-being
  • Social Sciences › Psychology › Neuropsychology and Physiological Psychology › Aging and Gerontology Research
Keywords
positive affect, trait positive affect, physical health, morbidity, pain, longevity, physiological arousal, immune function, cardiovascular function, lung function
MeSH terms
Adaptation, Psychological, Adolescent, Adult, Affect, Aged, Aged, 80 and over, Arousal, Child, Disease, Female, Happiness, Health, Humans, Male, Middle Aged, Mortality, Negativism, Survival Analysis

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