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56
Psychological stress and the human immune system: A meta-analytic study of 30 years of inquiry
- Psychological Bulletin
, 2004
"... The present report meta-analyzes more than 300 empirical articles describing a relationship between psychological stress and parameters of the immune system in human participants. Acute stressors (lasting minutes) were associated with potentially adaptive upregulation of some parameters of natural i ..."
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Cited by 144 (3 self)
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The present report meta-analyzes more than 300 empirical articles describing a relationship between psychological stress and parameters of the immune system in human participants. Acute stressors (lasting minutes) were associated with potentially adaptive upregulation of some parameters of natural immunity and downregulation of some functions of specific immunity. Brief naturalistic stressors (such as exams) tended to suppress cellular immunity while preserving humoral immunity. Chronic stressors were associated with suppression of both cellular and humoral measures. Effects of event sequences varied according to the kind of event (trauma vs. loss). Subjective reports of stress generally did not associate with immune change. In some cases, physical vulnerability as a function of age or disease also increased vulnerability to immune change during stressors. Since the dawn of time, organisms have been subject to evolu-tionary pressure from the environment. The ability to respond to environmental threats or stressors such as predation or natural disaster enhanced survival and therefore reproductive capacity, and physiological responses that supported such responses could be selected for. In mammals, these responses include changes that
Psychoneuroimmunology: Psychological influences on immune function and health.
- Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology,
, 2002
"... There is ample evidence from human and animal studies demonstrating the downward modulation of immune function concomitant with a variety of stressors. As a consequence, the possible enhancement of immune function by behavioral strategies has generated considerable interest. Researchers have used a ..."
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Cited by 63 (1 self)
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There is ample evidence from human and animal studies demonstrating the downward modulation of immune function concomitant with a variety of stressors. As a consequence, the possible enhancement of immune function by behavioral strategies has generated considerable interest. Researchers have used a number of diverse strategies to modulate immune function, including relaxation, hypnosis, exercise, classical conditioning, self-disclosure, exposure to a phobic stressor to enhance perceived coping self-efficacy; and cognitive-behavioral interventions, and these interventions have generally produced positive changes. Although it is not yet clear to what extent these positive immunological changes translate into any concrete improvements in relevant aspects of health. that is, alterations in the incidence, severity, or duration of infectious or malignant disease, the preliminary evidence is promising.
A theory of the emergence, persistence, and expression of geographic variation in psychological characteristics
- Perspectives on Psychological Science
, 2008
"... ABSTRACT—Volumes of research show that people in differ-ent geographic regions differ psychologically. Most of that work converges on the conclusion that there are geographic differences in personality and values, but little attention has been paid to developing an integrative account of how those d ..."
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Cited by 32 (0 self)
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ABSTRACT—Volumes of research show that people in differ-ent geographic regions differ psychologically. Most of that work converges on the conclusion that there are geographic differences in personality and values, but little attention has been paid to developing an integrative account of how those differences emerge, persist, and become expressed at the geographic level. Drawing from research in psychology and other social sciences, we present a theoretical account of the mechanisms through which geographic variation in psychological characteristics emerge and persist within regions, and we propose a model for conceptualizing the processes through which such characteristics become expressed in geographic social indicators. The proposed processes were examined in the context of theory and research on personality traits. Hypotheses derived from the
CEO Positive Psychological Traits, Transformational Leadership, and Firm Performance in High-Technology Start-up and Established Firms †
, 2008
"... This study examines the relationships among positive psychological traits (hope, optimism, resiliency), transformational leadership, and firm performance in high-technology start-up (n = 49) and established firm (n = 56) contexts, using structural equation modeling. Results reveal that the positive ..."
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Cited by 16 (0 self)
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This study examines the relationships among positive psychological traits (hope, optimism, resiliency), transformational leadership, and firm performance in high-technology start-up (n = 49) and established firm (n = 56) contexts, using structural equation modeling. Results reveal that the positive psychological traits of CEOs positively relate to transformational leadership ratings. Furthermore, the extent to which leaders are rated as transformational fully mediates the relationship between the leaders ’ positive psychological traits and their firms ’ performance. Last, transformational leadership is more strongly related to firm performance in start-up than in established firms. Implications for theory and practice are discussed.
Onset of frailty in older adults and the protective role of positive affect
- Psychology and Aging
, 2004
"... The aim of this study was to examine the longitudinal association between positive affect and onset of frailty for 1,558 initially nonfrail older Mexican Americans from the Hispanic Established Populations for Epidemiological Studies of the Elderly database. The incidence of frailty increased 7.9 % ..."
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Cited by 16 (0 self)
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The aim of this study was to examine the longitudinal association between positive affect and onset of frailty for 1,558 initially nonfrail older Mexican Americans from the Hispanic Established Populations for Epidemiological Studies of the Elderly database. The incidence of frailty increased 7.9 % during the 7-year follow-up period. High positive affect was found to significantly lower the risk of frailty. Each unit increase in baseline positive affect score was associated with a 3 % decreased risk of frailty after adjusting for relevant risk factors. Findings add to a growing positive psychology literature by showing that positive affect is protective against the functional and physical decline associated with frailty. Good psychological health, which includes positive affect, is increasingly recognized as having protective benefits against poor
Psychological influences on surgical recovery: Perspectives from psychoneuroimmunology
- American Psychologist
, 1998
"... Greater fear or distress prior to surgery is associated with a slower and more complicated postoperative r cov-ery. Although anxiety presumably interferes with recuper-ation through both behavioral and physiological mecha-nisms, the pathways have been unclear. Recent work in psychoneuroimmunology (P ..."
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Cited by 14 (2 self)
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Greater fear or distress prior to surgery is associated with a slower and more complicated postoperative r cov-ery. Although anxiety presumably interferes with recuper-ation through both behavioral and physiological mecha-nisms, the pathways have been unclear. Recent work in psychoneuroimmunology (PNI) has demonstrated that stress delays wound healing. In addition, a second line of research has illustrated the adverse ffects of pain on endocrine and immune function. A biobehavioral model is described that is based on these and other data; it suggests a number of routes through which psychological and behavioral responses can influence surgery and post-surgical outcomes. Clinical and research implications are highlighted. S urgery is a threatening experience, with multi- ple stressful components--concerns about one's physical condition, admission to a hospital, antici-pation of painful procedures, worries about survival and recovery, and separation from family. Accordingly, it is not surprising that even operations that physicians con-sider "minor " can provoke strong emotional reactions in patients (Johnston, 1988). If these psychological re-sponses are sufficiently intense, they can have important consequences: The weight of the evidence suggests that greater distress or anxiety prior to surgery is associated with a slower and more complicated postoperative r cov-ery (Johnston & Wallace, 1990; Mathews & Ridgeway, 1981). Moreover, researchers who have assessed the im-pact of psychosocial interventions administered before surgery have generally demonstrated positive effects on postsurgical psychological nd physical function (see re-
Statutory Social Workers: Stress, Job Satisfaction, Coping, Social Support and Individual Differences
"... Many pieces of research have been undertaken in recent years that consider stress in statutory social work. The research has tended, inevitably, to focus on negatives in social workers ’ lives, by considering dissatisfaction with the job, absences from work and other physical, psychological and beha ..."
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Cited by 10 (1 self)
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Many pieces of research have been undertaken in recent years that consider stress in statutory social work. The research has tended, inevitably, to focus on negatives in social workers ’ lives, by considering dissatisfaction with the job, absences from work and other physical, psychological and behavioural symptoms of stress. Little attention has been given in the studies of stress and social work to expanding on the positives of social work, the rewards involved, high job satisfaction, the importance of how workers cope with the job, the contribution of supervision, personal and group support at work and home, alongside the positive well-being of many individual social workers. This article highlights the satis-faction social workers feel about their work, considers healthy and unhealthy coping strat-egies that are, and might be, used, gender differences and the importance of various forms of support from within the work setting, especially mutual group support, accompanied by individual differences linked to good self-esteem, personal hardiness and resilience.
The relationship between self-leadership and personality: a comparison of hierarchical factor structures
- Journal of Managerial Psychology
, 2004
"... This study examined the relationship between self-leadership and personality through an analysis and comparison of hierarchical factor structures. More specifically, this study examined the relationships between the self-leadership dimensions of behavior-focused strategies, natural reward strategies ..."
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Cited by 5 (0 self)
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This study examined the relationship between self-leadership and personality through an analysis and comparison of hierarchical factor structures. More specifically, this study examined the relationships between the self-leadership dimensions of behavior-focused strategies, natural reward strategies, and constructive thought strategies, and the personality dimensions of extraversion, emotional stability, and conscientiousness. The results of the study provide evidence that the self-leadership dimensions are distinct from, yet related to, the specified personality traits. The hypothesis that self-leadership strategies are distinct from the selected personality traits was supported through structural equations modeling analyses examining competing models combining the hierarchical factor structures of self-leadership and personality. Model fit increased significantly through a progression of models that showed increasingly greater distinction between self-leadership dimensions and personality traits. The best fitting model in the progression, in harmony with both self-leadership and trait personality theory, consisted of a hierarchical factor structure with three first order self-leadership factors, three first order personality factors, and two correlated second order factors (i.e., self-leadership and personality).
Abstract Positive illusions of preference consistency: When remaining eluded by oneÕs
, 2004
"... preferences yields greater subjective well-being and decision outcomes ..."
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Cited by 4 (0 self)
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preferences yields greater subjective well-being and decision outcomes
Waiting is the hardest part: A model of uncertainty navigation in the context of health
- Health Psychology Review
, 2012
"... Waiting for any news can be a difficult experience, and waiting for health-related news presents additional challenges due to the potentially life-changing implications of diagnostic, prognostic or risk information. This paper introduces a model of uncertainty navigation as a novel theoretical fram ..."
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Cited by 4 (2 self)
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Waiting for any news can be a difficult experience, and waiting for health-related news presents additional challenges due to the potentially life-changing implications of diagnostic, prognostic or risk information. This paper introduces a model of uncertainty navigation as a novel theoretical framework of the strategies people use to mitigate the anxiety of waiting for health news. The model includes three overarching strategies for uncertainty navigation: consequence mitigation, reappraisal and emotion regulation. It also incorporates several factors that moderate the use of these strategies. Supportive empirical evidence for the use and effectiveness of these strategies is presented, and potential consequences, both good and bad, of using these strategies are described. Finally, some of the many future research directions that arise from this novel theoretical framework are discussed.
