EN
Leo Tolstoy’s famous novel Anna Karenina opens with the words: “All happy families are alike; each unhappy family is unhappy in its own way.” A new study has shown that this principle can also be applied to optimists and pessimists. Japanese researchers found that people with a positive mindset exhibit common patterns of brain activity, whereas such patterns are more individualized among pessimists.
A paper published in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS) expands our understanding of the cognitive traits of optimistic and pessimistic individuals. The topic is significant, as previous studies have linked optimism to better physical and mental health, as well as improved social well-being.
It was already known from earlier research that optimists tend to have stronger social connections and are more readily accepted by those around them. Based on this, a team of psychologists and specialists from several Japanese universities hypothesized that this tendency may not only stem from personality traits, but also from certain shared brain mechanisms that facilitate social bonding.
To test this hypothesis, the researchers conducted a series of experiments using functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI). While their brains were being scanned, participants (two groups—one with 37 people, the other with 50) were asked to imagine future events—positive, negative, or neutral—that could happen either to themselves or their romantic partners. Participants also completed questionnaires to assess their levels of optimism and pessimism, along with a series of other cognitive tests.
When analyzing the brain scans, the researchers focused on the medial prefrontal cortex, a region involved in decision-making, motivation, memory, and related processes. Increased neural activity was observed in this area while participants imagined future events.
Comparing pairs of participants, the scientists found similar activity patterns in cases where both individuals were optimistic. In contrast, pairs in which one or both participants were pessimistic showed more individual-specific patterns.
The researchers also observed that optimists displayed more pronounced differences in brain activity when thinking about positive versus negative events, compared to pessimists. This distinct separation suggests that optimistic individuals may be better at imagining unfavorable scenarios in a more abstract and detached way, thereby reducing their emotional impact.
However, these findings also raise new questions. For instance, is this trait innate, or is it developed over time? The study’s lead author, psychologist Kuniaki Yanagisawa, plans to continue research in this field. His ultimate goal is to better understand what leads to loneliness and what facilitates human connection.
