Research abstract

Cultivating Practical Optimism: A Key to Getting the Best from Your Brain

“Cultivating Practical Optimism”: Optimism is a type of thinking that can be taught, not a fixed trait, neuroscience now shows. *Practical Optimism* means focusing on positive emotions so students can become more resilient and more likely to persevere with learning tasks. By Donna Wilson, Ph.D. & Marcus Conyers, Ph.D.

Laura Lurns Last updated September 3, 2016 · 1 min read

Optimism is more than a choice or something that is dependent on a person’s genetics. For a long time people have though that some people are naturally optimistic, and some people are naturally pessimistic. Recent research has proven that optimism can be conditioned and also that conditioning optimism aids education.

Children who are taught to think positively are more likely to approach problem solving more flexibly. Optimistic minds resolve problems more creatively and successfully. Resolving problems also makes people think more positively so the two have a cumulative effect on education. Educational professionals can benefit from research like this and apply it in their class rooms.

Key takeaways

Optimism is not as bound to individual personality as previously thought.
People can learn optimism or pessimism.
How people view the world changes the structure of the brain.

Is your child struggling in school?

Get your free personalized learning roadmap

You describe what you see at home. We turn it into a plan you start this week.

Answer 5 short questionnaires about what you already notice, 30–45 minutes at your own kitchen table
Your child sits no test and gets no score: nothing to schedule, nothing for them to dread
You do the answering, the AI does the writing, and a person reviews it before it reaches you
Access all 40+ courses instantly: reading, math, focus, processing and more, with new ones added regularly

Why we use AI, plainly: it writes from a knowledge base our team maintains and audits. We work through it line by line and pull anything the evidence stops supporting. The roadmap you get on Tuesday reflects what we corrected on Monday, and a human still reads it before you do.

Your school district must evaluate your child free of charge if you ask in writing, whatever your income and whatever the outcome (US, 34 CFR 300.111 and 300.301(b)). That route takes time and answers a different question than you do. This one starts today, from what you already know.

Get my free assessment & 7-day trial Cancel anytime during your trial.

Your answers stay yours. We do not sell your personal information, and we do not hand identifiable assessment data to outside AI companies to train their models.

A screener is a starting point, not a diagnosis. If your child might need formal accommodations (an IEP or 504 plan), or you suspect a vision, hearing or medical cause, pursue a professional evaluation too. That is the only route to those supports.

Laura Lurns · Learning Success expert Writes about the learning brain for parents who want plain answers. Every article is grounded in current neuroscience and classroom practice.

Key takeaways

Is your child struggling in school?

Keep reading