研究者Elise Kalokerinos表示，盡管事實上人們經(jīng)常會覺得最近生活很讓人不爽，然而往往老年人會比年輕人更加積極向上；這項研究中研究者主要研究了正面積極情緒可以幫助老年個體增強其機體健康。文章中研究人員對年齡在65至90歲的50名個體進行長達2年的研究。
研究人員給參與者展示一些正面和負面的照片，隨后讓他們回憶，同時對參與者進行血液檢測來測定其機體的免疫功能，結(jié)果顯示，相比回憶負面圖片的個體來講，回憶正面圖片的個體機體往往具有較強的免疫功能。通過選擇性地回憶一些正面的圖像，老年個體似乎表現(xiàn)出在其最需要它們的時候會增強機體的免疫功能。如今我們都知道快樂會改善個體的健康，而研究證明關(guān)注一些積極正面的信息也具有同樣的效果。
一個人如果關(guān)注正面的東西大于負面的東西，那么其往往會更好地處理一些壓力，會對其后期的生活、工作帶來一定的幫助，而且會更加促進其進行社交活動等。本文研究中研究者還指出，人類或許會慢慢進化出的一種積極正面的能力來增強機體免疫系統(tǒng)，變得長壽。
原文報道：
A positive attitude can improve your immune system and may help you live longer， according to a University of Queensland study.
The research， published in Psychology and Aging has found that older people who focused on positive information were more likely to have stronger immune systems.
Lead researcher Dr Elise Kalokerinos， from UQ's School of Psychology， said a positive attitude played an important role in healthy ageing.
"Despite the fact that people often think of late life as a period of doom and gloom， older people are often more positive than younger people，" Dr Kalokerinos said.
"Our research suggests that this focus on the positive may help older people protect their declining health."
The study involved following 50 adults， aged 65-90 years， across two years.
Participants were shown a series of positive and negative photos， which they were later asked to recall， and their immune function was also measured through a series of blood tests.
Dr Kalokerinos said participants who remembered more positive than negative images also showed better immune functioning up to two years later.
"Participants who recalled more positive than negative images had antibodies in their blood suggesting stronger immune systems than those of their counterparts， who did not show this positivity in memory，" she said.
"By selectively remembering the positive， older adults seem to boost their immune functioning just when they need it the most.
"We already know that happiness provides a range of health benefits and this research shows that focusing on positive information may have the same effect for older people.
"A person who focuses on positive information over negative information may be better able to cope with stressful situations， may take a more positive long-term outlook on life， and may maintain positive social interactions， thus reaping the immune benefits.
"These findings raise the possibility that humans have evolved to become more positive late in life in order to enhance their own longevity."
