Event Title
Faculty Mentor
Curt Phifer
Location
Memorial Gym
Start Date
20-4-2012 2:30 PM
End Date
20-4-2012 3:30 PM
Description
Do positive thoughts facilitate optimal health? The Perceived Stress Scale (PSS, Cohen et al., 1983), the most widely used psychological instrument for measuring the perception of stress, was administered to 85 undergraduate students from Northwestern State University along with a survey asking them to circle illnesses they had experienced in the last month. Participants were sent daily messages containing positive thoughts for 21 days and the questionnaires were readministered. A paired sample t-test showed that thinking positive thoughts reduced stress levels and the number of illnesses. The moderating hypothesis that positive thoughts help decrease health problems was confirmed.
Can Positive Thoughts Prevent Illnesses?
Memorial Gym
Do positive thoughts facilitate optimal health? The Perceived Stress Scale (PSS, Cohen et al., 1983), the most widely used psychological instrument for measuring the perception of stress, was administered to 85 undergraduate students from Northwestern State University along with a survey asking them to circle illnesses they had experienced in the last month. Participants were sent daily messages containing positive thoughts for 21 days and the questionnaires were readministered. A paired sample t-test showed that thinking positive thoughts reduced stress levels and the number of illnesses. The moderating hypothesis that positive thoughts help decrease health problems was confirmed.