Optimism and Cognition

I found your comments about emotions and memory very interesting. Does an optimistic mindset have anything to do with cognitive ability?

In the past, although anecdotal studies have linked optimism with positive health behaviors, research was not specifically geared to evaluating cognition in older adults. Scientists decided to evaluate data from the Health and Retirement Study in an attempt to determine whether optimism was associated with cognitive impairment in older adults. The researchers discovered that an optimistic mindset was prospectively linked with a reduced risk of developing cognitive impairment. Therefore, developing an optimistic mindset may be one way to slow down if not prevent cognitive impairment in older adults. The questions then become individually: Do you look at the glass half full or half empty? (There really is no half empty glass, only half full.) Do you look for the positive aspects in any given situation or immediately identify whatever is negative? Do you put on a happy face each morning as you begin the day?