OPTIMISM IS ASSOCIATED WITH MOOD, COPING, AND IMMUNE CHANGE IN RESPONSE TO STRESS

This study explored prospectively the effects of dispositional and sit uational optimism on mood (N = 90) and immune changes (N = 50) among l aw students in their first semester of study. Optimism was associated with better mood, higher numbers of helper T cells, and higher natural killer cell cytotoxicity. Avoidance coping partially accounted for th e relationship between optimism and mood. Among the immune parameters, mood partially accounted for the optimism-helper T cell relationship, and perceived stress partially accounted for the optimism-cytotoxicit y relationship. Individual differences in expectancies, appraisals, an d mood may be important in understanding psychological and immune resp onses to stress.