生活中,，人們總是傾向于認(rèn)為自己會(huì)事事順心,，而一些糟糕的事情不會(huì)發(fā)生在自己的身上,。美國(guó)科學(xué)家近日的研究對(duì)此提供了支持，他們發(fā)現(xiàn)大腦中的兩個(gè)區(qū)域能幫助人們對(duì)事物抱樂觀態(tài)度,。相關(guān)論文10月24日在線發(fā)表于《自然》上,。
此次研究由美國(guó)紐約大學(xué)的認(rèn)知神經(jīng)學(xué)家Elizabeth Phelps領(lǐng)導(dǎo)完成。她和同事讓15個(gè)志愿者去想象不同的生活事件,，包括得意事件（如獲獎(jiǎng)）和不得意事件（如和情侶分手）,，并讓其中一半的志愿者想象這些事件在未來發(fā)生，另一半則想象在過去發(fā)生,。研究人員隨后用功能核磁共振成像（fMRI）技術(shù)掃描了這些志愿者的腦部活動(dòng),。
在掃描之后的調(diào)查問卷中，志愿者表示,，相比較糟糕的未來景象,，他們能更生動(dòng)快速地想象出美好的未來事件。在樂觀心理測(cè)試中得高分的人身上,，這種差別尤其明顯,。
fMRI掃描結(jié)果給出了相關(guān)解釋。掃描發(fā)現(xiàn),，大腦中的兩個(gè)區(qū)域——杏仁核（amygdala）和前喙扣帶皮質(zhì)（rACC）,，其活性在志愿者想象未來積極事件時(shí)比在想象未來消極事件時(shí)要強(qiáng)得多。比較起來,，最樂觀的志愿者在想象消極未來事件時(shí)的rACC活性最低,。
哈佛大學(xué)心理學(xué)家Daniel Schacter表示，杏仁核和rACC在調(diào)節(jié)情緒方面都具有重要作用,，當(dāng)人們想象消極未來事件時(shí),，它們活性的降低有助于減弱潛在的痛苦思想，使人不會(huì)沉浸到消極情緒中去,。（科學(xué)網(wǎng) 梅進(jìn)/編譯）
原始出處:
Nature advance online publication 24 October 2007 | doi:10.1038/nature06280; Received 7 July 2007; Accepted 19 September 2007; Published online 24 October 2007
Neural mechanisms mediating optimism bias
Tali Sharot1,2, Alison M. Riccardi1, Candace M. Raio1 & Elizabeth A. Phelps1
Department of Psychology, New York University, New York 10003, USA
Wellcome Department of Imaging Neuroscience, Institute of Neurology, University College London, London WC1N 3BG, UK
Correspondence to: Elizabeth A. Phelps1 Correspondence and requests for materials should be addressed to E.A.P. (Email: [email protected]).
Humans expect positive events in the future even when there is no evidence to support such expectations. For example, people expect to live longer and be healthier than average1, they underestimate their likelihood of getting a divorce1, and overestimate their prospects for success on the job market2. We examined how the brain generates this pervasive optimism bias. Here we report that this tendency was related specifically to enhanced activation in the amygdala and in the rostral anterior cingulate cortex when imagining positive future events relative to negative ones, suggesting a key role for areas involved in monitoring emotional salience in mediating the optimism bias. These are the same regions that show irregularities in depression3, which has been related to pessimism4. Across individuals, activity in the rostral anterior cingulate cortex was correlated with trait optimism. The current study highlights how the brain may generate the tendency to engage in the projection of positive future events, suggesting that the effective integration and regulation of emotional and autobiographical information supports the projection of positive future events in healthy individuals, and is related to optimism.
