Can a Negative Attitude Hasten Death?
Evaluating Research about Explanatory Style

	Developmental psychologists study and describe changes in behavior and mental processes over the life span, trying to understand their causes and effects. They explore areas such as the development of relationships, cognitive processes, and mental health. The survey research you are going to read about involved studying a group of people over a period of time to determine if their "explanatory style," that is to say, the optimistic or pessimistic "spin" they put on events (whether they think that the glass is half empty or half full), was related to life expectancy. Evaluate the research conclusion that the pessimists died at a younger age than the optimists. Review the Evaluating Research questions below, then link to this short but provocative article from the American Psycholigical Association's Monitor (June, 1998) entitled "Death may come sooner for people who believe things are worse than they are." When you have read the article, answer the questions. Submit your responses to your instructor by e-mail, or print them out and hand them in.     To read the article, go to the link below.   "Death may come sooner for people who believe things are worse than they are," Monitor, June, 1998   Evaluating Research Questions for "Can a Negative Attitude Hasten Death?" What was the researcher's question about explanatory style and death?   What did the researchers find?   How did the research answer the question? This requires that you describe the research methods and/or experiment.   What do the results mean?   What more do you want to know about how explanatory style affects how and when we die?     Submit your responses to your instructor by e-mail, or print them out and hand them in to your instructor.