Optimists vs. pessimists: Scientists find differences in the brain

A recent study from Kobe University in Japan, published in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS), revealed the effects on life that a positive and negative brain can have on various situations.

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This report used brain imaging techniques to analyze how people think when projecting themselves into the future.

In this context, the academy conducted two studies on a group of 87 adults . This one used functional magnetic resonance imaging to observe the individuals' brain activity.

Thus, the more than 80 participants were subjected to different future scenarios related to death. During the exercise, the scientists recorded brain data, which was used to measure the participants' neural patterns.

What were the results?

According to the study, the results revealed that people with high levels of optimism shared similar patterns of activity on functional magnetic resonance imaging, while those with lower optimism showed greater variability.

“What’s most striking about this study is that the abstract notion of ‘thinking alike’ was literally visible in the form of brain activity patterns ,” said Kuniaki Yanagisawa, the study’s author.

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He also mentioned that optimistic people use a shared neural framework to organize their thoughts about the future, which likely reflects a similar mental processing style, rather than identical ideas.

"What this study shows is that the basis of their social success could be this shared reality," the expert added.

Another result of the study is that optimistic people more clearly differentiate between positive and negative events in their brains, suggesting a cognitive structure that favors resilience.

"Optimistic people typically process negative scenarios in a more abstract and psychologically distant way, which lessens their emotional impact," the expert noted.

Finally, the report revealed that people who are more positive about the future find it easier to have social relationships.

Leidy Julieth Ruiz Clavijo

Portfolio Journalist