How Learned Optimism Can Support Memory Improvement

Assess any group of individuals, asking them for their particular attitude about life, and you will likely see a fairly mixed bag. Some people will naturally see their "glass" as half-full, while others will always assume that everyday occurrences indicate a half-empty life. While there are many reasons why a person may carry a specific attitude, chances are that they are fairly firm in that mindset. However, what most people do not adequately realize is that these automatic responses to outside stimuli can be changed by an individual.

This concept, referred to as learned optimism, has garnered recent attention from both business people and psychologists. Surprisingly, your level of optimism can also affect memory.

What We Learned From Animals

While there is some controversy as to the ethicality of using animals in scientific studies, there is no doubt that these experiments teach us a lot about ourselves.

When dealing with learned optimism, it was dogs that finally proved these principles.

The dogs were exposed to painful situations over which they had no control nor could they get away. Eventually the dogs gave up and stopped trying to avoid or stop the unpleasant stimuli - remaining inert or huddled in a corner. In effect, they had learned to be pessimistic, or to have a negative view of their environment.

When the researchers moved the dogs to a new environment, where they had more control, the dogs automatically assumed that they still had no control or couldn't influence their destiny. In effect the previous situation had taught them to be pessimistic. The researchers realized that if pessimism could be learned then optimism too could be learnt.

Making the Connection

While this all very interesting, what do dog studies have to do with memory improvement? Well, our minds are the most powerful tools that humankind is graced with.

There are both subconscious and conscious areas that orchestrate how we learn, feel and react to everyday occurrences. What do you think would happen if a pessimistic attitude indicated that you perform poorly at memory tasks?

In almost every instance, your mind creates your environment to match what you think, almost like an internal narcissism. Using learned optimism has the ability to create better memory skills.

Seeing things in a positive light and recognizing your own abilities causes a subconscious domino effect that makes you sharper. It's a strange connection, little understood until the studies were done with dogs.

Human studies have since cemented the link between optimism and memory. Of course, memory isn't the only thing affected, either. People who apply the skill of learned optimism have better relationships and careers as well.

Applying Learned Optimism

There are numerous tangible things you can do to increase your optimistic outlook. Remember that a positive attitude, hope and cheerfulness affects various things, including memory. In addition, basic optimism skills can improve memory even when the tasks are seemingly unrelated. Here are several tips that can help you improve memory using optimism.

1. Watch the attitude! What you think becomes the cornerstone that influences how you perform.
2. Recognize thought patterns. It's hard to purposefully develop a more optimistic outlook if you don't recognize pessimistic thought patterns that need replacing.
3. Develop a "big picture" way of looking at events in your life. Almost anyone can overcome if they can find a purpose in negative experiences.
4. Stop placing blame for the things that you can't change and start accepting responsibility for those that you can; learn to recognize the difference.
5. Your study skills are in your control; the contents of a test are not.
6. Notice when you are self-sabotaging. Develop positive dialogues that highlight your strengths, including memory. A brain that gets the message that you are good at something will automatically work harder to create that truth.

Martin Seligman is regarded as one of the founders of the positive psychology movement. Go to the Authentic Happiness website to discover more about learned optimism and to take the test to see where you rate on the Optimism-Pessimism scale. (You will need to subscribe, but it's a safe site and the test you want is called the Optimism Test)

Read more articles on Positive Thinking.

Go to Memory Improvement Tools home page from the Learned Optimism page