Accentuating the positive

IN CAREY Goldberg's Jan. 15 article "Positive psychology is getting a tryout at McLean Hospital" (Health/Science), Julie Norem of Wellesley College is quoted as saying: "But we have virtually no studies that show that you can reliably, long-term, change people's levels of . . . optimism and that doing so will lead to positive outcomes."

This is inaccurate. There is extensive scientific literature that shows just that. Learning to dispute catastrophic thoughts reliably changes pessimism into optimism. These changes cause relief and prevention of depression and likely cause better physical health . The methods come from cognitive-behavioral therapy and they are called "learned optimism." Unlike dieting, successfully disputing pessimistic thoughts is self-maintaining, with long-term follow-up showing stable gains in optimism as well as long-term anti-depressive effects.

Norem's research, in contrast, purports to demonstrate that some people adapt well to their pessimism, allegedly by preparing for the worst, and so she warns against optimism. But her implication that their pessimism causes these people to be better off invites skepticism: Would she really advocate programs that teach patients to become pessimistic?

MARTIN E.P. SELIGMAN
Philadelphia

The writer is a psychology professor at University of Pennsylvania.