Ricerc@Sapienza

Previous research has shown a positive association between optimism and perceived social support. In this research the authors sought to uncover conditions and mechanisms that could influence this relationship; the authors were specifically interested in how these issues affect peer support in university-age women, for whom it is particularly important.

: In classical conformity experiments, the conformity has been defined
as a negative phenomenon or as a distortion of judgment under the group
pressure. Furthermore, experiments are mainly performed within social
aggregates rather than on groups, and even less on cohesive ones. This study
aims to reshape positively the conformity while happening within cohesive
groups. It shows how the positive social pressure of cohesive group members,
intended as an influence based on optimism, can cause to the less optimistic

Positive orientation (PO) is a basic predisposition that consists in a positive outlook toward oneself, one’s life, and one’s future, which is associated to many desirable outcomes connected to health and to the general quality of life. We performed a lexical study for identifying a set of markers of PO, developed an Implicit Association Test (the PO-IAT), and investigated its psychometric properties.

Previous studies have indicated positivity as a basic trait which lies at the very heart of self-esteem, life satisfaction, and dispositional optimism, and predisposes people to view life and experience from a positive point of view. The present research addresses the extent to which age, positivity and its abovementioned expressions may be associated with healthy functioning in old age. Fifty-one men and eighty-one women, all Spanish, predominantly middle-class and educated, in good health and ranging in age from 62 to 80, participated in this research project.

In this article, we explore the neural correlates of the general and specific factors assessed by the Life Orientation Test-Revised. These factors have been shown to assess general optimism (GO) and a form of self-enhancement akin to unrealistic optimism (SP). Toward our aim, we used a standardized low-resolution brain electromagnetic tomography (sLORETA), which provides electroencephalographic (EEG) localization measures that are independent of recording reference. Resting-EEG and self-report measures of GO and SP were collected from 51 female undergraduates.