The association between optimism and telomere length: A meta-analysis

Abstract

The present study investigated the meta-analytic association between dispositional optimism and telomere length. The meta-analysis included 12 samples and a total of 13,439 participants. A small weighted meta-analytic effect size, <i>r</i> =.06, <i>p</i> =.02, indicated that across samples greater optimism was associated with longer telomeres. A meta-analytic moderator analysis indicated that samples that included participants in stressful circumstances had a stronger association between optimism and telomere length, Q(1) = 7.47, <i>p</i> =.006. The results point to the need for research to identify the connections between optimism, stress, and telomere length.