Heather N. Rasmussen

Optimism and physical health: a meta-analytic review.

BackgroundPrior research links optimism to physical health, but the strength of the association has not been systematically evaluated.PurposeThe purpose of this study is to conduct a meta-analytic review to determine the strength of the association between optimism and physical health.MethodsThe findings from 83 studies, with 108 effect sizes (ESs), were included in the analyses, using random-effects models.ResultsOverall, the mean ES characterizing the relationship between optimism and physical health outcomes was 0.17, p < .001. ESs were larger for studies using subjective (versus objective) measures of physical health. Subsidiary analyses were also conducted grouping studies into those that focused solely on mortality, survival, cardiovascular outcomes, physiological markers (including immune function), immune function only, cancer outcomes, outcomes related to pregnancy, physical symptoms, or pain. In each case, optimism was a significant predictor of health outcomes or markers, all p < .001.ConclusionsOptimism is a significant predictor of positive physical health outcomes.

Striking a vital balance: Developing a complementary focus on human weakness and strength through positive psychological assessment.

Imagine walking into a great hall filled with grand wooden tables. On those tables are thousands of weights and hundreds of well-worn scales, some larger than others. Using the scales, all engraved with the names of age-old foibles, measure the success of your life. Next, imagine a second hall with twice as many scales—all of the scales for human foibles plus scales labeled with antiquated names of human strengths. This huge system of scales measures all qualities essential to life and well-being. Now measure the success of your life. We believe that the system of scales in the second hall would help to strike a vital balance in our measurement of life success. Indeed, psychological science has provided us with many theoretically grounded, psychometrically sound measures of human strength. Despite these recent developments in positive psychology involving operationalization of constructs and development of measures, however, no volume of these psychometric advances has been completed. This was the impetus for this volume.

The development and validation of the protective factors survey: A self-report measure of protective factors against child maltreatment

OBJECTIVE The objective of this study was to evaluate the internal structure of a self-report measure of multiple family-level protective factors against abuse and neglect and explore the relationship of this instrument to other measures of child maltreatment. METHODS For the exploratory factor analysis, 11 agencies from 4 states administered the Protective Factors Survey (PFS), the Brief Child Abuse Potential Inventory (Ondersma et al., 2005), and another measure to establish content validity (N=249 participants). Exploratory factor analyses were conducted to obtain a small, integrated set of items that tap the targeted protective factors correlated with other theoretically important constructs. Correlations were computed to explore PFS criterion-related validity. Confirmatory factor analyses were conducted on an additional sample of 689 participants from 19 agencies across the United States. RESULTS Exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses yielded a 4-factor solution, consisting of Family Functioning, Emotional Support, Concrete Support, and Nurturing and Attachment. Four measures were administered to assess constructs that were predicted to correlate negatively with the protective factors: child abuse potential, depression, stress, and maladaptive coping. The PFS was also predicted to correlate positively with adaptive coping such as use of emotional and instrumental social support and positive reframing. Overall, the PFS subscales were significantly related to these measures in the directions predicted. CONCLUSIONS The PFS is a valid and reliable instrument to measure individual differences in multiple protective factors in families. The measure is an easily administered tool that offers programs an alternative to costly, time-intensive measures. PRACTICE IMPLICATIONS The PFS offers community-based prevention programs a valid and reliable survey instrument that measures multiple protective factors. The subscales-Family Functioning, Emotional Support, Concrete Supports, and Nurturing and Attachment-can be used by practitioners to understand the service population more fully, inform services, and contribute to the evidence base of a protective factors approach. Practitioners can build on the strengths or protective factors in parents and select services to address areas that are less developed.

The Engagement Model of Person-Environment Interaction

This article focuses on growth-promoting aspects in the environment, and the authors propose a strength-based, dynamic model of person-environment interaction. The authors begin by briefly discussing the typical recognition of contextual variables in models that rely on the concept of person-environment fit. This is followed by a review of recent approaches to incorporating positive environmental factors in conceptualizations of human functioning. These approaches lead to an alternative model of personenvironment interaction in which the engagement construct (i.e., the quality of a personenvironment relationship determined by the extent to which negotiation, participation, and evaluation processes occur during the interaction) replaces the static notion of fit. Finally, the authors outline recommendations for overcoming environmental neglect in research, practice, and training.

Perceptions of Multicultural Training in Predoctoral Internship Programs: A Survey of Interns and Training Directors

Multicultural training at internship sites is a critical component in the preparation of doctoral-level psychologists, so the quality of this training is of the utmost importance. In the following study, the authors examine multicultural training from the perspective of predoctoral interns and training directors at counseling center sites that offer a major or minor rotation in multicultural therapy. Results suggest that perspectives vary between intems and training directors and that there is a great difference in the type of criteria used by each site as evidence of a major or minor rotation. The need for more standardized criteria to define major and minor rotations and suggestions for the Association of Psychology Postdoctoral and Internship Centers, internship training directors, and prospective interns are discussed.

The Whole is Not the Sum of Its Parts: Specific Types of Positive Affect Influence Sleep Differentially

Given the known detrimental effects of poor sleep on an array of psychological and physical health processes, it is critical to understand the factors that protect sleep, especially during times of stress when sleep particularly suffers. Positive affect (PA) arises as a variable of interest given its known associations with health and health behaviors and its ability to buffer stress. In 2 studies, we examined which types of PA (distinguished by arousal level and trait/state measurement) were most beneficial for sleep and whether these associations varied depending on the stress context. In Study 1, college students (N = 99) reported on their PA and sleep during the week of a major exam. In Study 2, 2 weeks of daily PA and sleep data were collected during a period with no examinations in a similar sample of students (N = 83). Results indicated that high trait vigor was tied to better sleep efficiency and quality, especially during high stress. Trait calm was generally unhelpful to sleep, and was related negatively to sleep duration. State calm, on the other hand, interacted with stress in Study 2 to predict more efficient day-to-day sleep on days with higher average stress. These findings illustrate the importance of considering arousal level, affect duration, and the stress context in studies of PA and health.

Broad Definitions of Culture in the Field of Multicultural Psychology

This chapter provides an overview of a broad definition of culture, and discusses the dynamic and fluid nature of culture. Past theoretical models conceptualized human behavior and functioning from a deficit viewpoint and failed to address culture. Current frameworks not only focus on a balance between deficient and optimal functioning, but also are culturally responsive. Readers are encouraged to reflect on their own cultural influences and multiple cultural identities, as well as those of the other individuals with whom they interact. Models of integrating multicultural thinking are discussed. We focus on Hays’ (2008) ADDRESSING framework and integrate it with the four-front approach (Wright and Lopez 2009) as a model for reflecting upon the complexity of human experience.