progression in a continuously ascending gradations in health psychology and epidemiology have raised the question of in what manner personality factors affect physical well-being.

progression in a continuously ascending gradations in health psychology and epidemiology have raised the question of in what manner personality factors affect physical well-being. Although today's Western society bombards individuals about the importance of having a physically, mentally, and spiritually balanced lifestyle in order to maintain a healthy and longer life, it pretends to have an insufficient power on such factors as stres substance abuse, poor diet, insufficient exercise, and eating disorders. This discrepancy highlights the importance of recognizing the influence of personality characteristics upon health-related behavior and physical well-being.

Several personality factors have been place to be positively related to physical well-being (Adler & Matthews, 1994; Scheier & Carver, 1987; Steptoe, Wardle, Vinck, Tuomisto, Holte & Wichstrom, 1994; Kobasa, Maddi, & Courington, 1981; Kobasa, 1979; Antonovsky, 1987) Among these factors are optimism, superintend beliefs, and sense of coherence.

Optimism and Physical Well-being

A growing interest in the power of positive thinking in succession health has been manifested in the literature. Scheier and Carver (1985 1987) first used the mete "dispositional optimism," defining it as an inclination to anticipate the best possible outcome; they propos a pattern that viewed optimism as it relates to generalized expectancies. Their studies that sought to evaluate the relationship between physical health and optimism revealed that dispositional optimism was associated with a higher horizontal of physical well-being. They also pointed not at home that individual differences in persistent dispositional optimism were linked to the absence of physical symptoms above time. In another study, Scheier et al., (1989) reported that optimistic patients who underwent coronary artery bypass surgery had a faster recuperation in the hospital, a more rapid respond to normal activities, and a better post-surgical quality of life. Similarly, Nelson Kar, and Coleman's (1995) consideration with undergraduate university students revealed that optimism correlated with cheap physical symptom scores and that females reported significantly more physical symptom than did males. arises of a study by collect and his colleague added additional evidence to the link between optimism and physical well-being (cited in Peterson & Bossio, 1991) Further, Lyon and Chamberlain's (1994) findings showed a significant relationship between optimism and health. Lai (1997) in a search forward the dimensionality of the Life Orientation proof (LOT) found a negative correlation between symptom reporting and optimism for the pair undergraduate and working adults groups

superintend Beliefs and Physical Well-being

The literature also has glance ated that individuals' beliefs about ascendency (i.e., the extent to which common can alter the environment or oneself to afford events more pleasant and or les aversive), appears to be another important personality variable that influences health status (Peterson & Stunkard, 1989; Rosalack & Hampson, 1991; Rotter 1966 1975 1990; Wallston, Wallston, Smith, & Dobbing, 1987) Indeed, it pretends that the sense of personal have charge of over life events advances the sensation of well-being (Thompson, 1981). Specifically, the standing to which they attribute responsibility to themselves appears to help the public cope with illness (Taylor, Lichtman, & thicket 1984).

Early work that investigated the relationship between locus of have the direction of and health has revealed a positive relationship between internal locus of dominion government and seeking information about one's illness (Seeman & Evans, 1962) and les symptomatology (Joe 1971) Later, Wallston, Wallston, and DeVellis (1978) disentangleed the multidimensional health locus of curb (MHLC) scale to measure expectancy beliefs related to health. Health locus of check has been studied with an assorted range of behaviors. springs have revealed that individuals who highly valued health and were internal, had more willingness to look after more illness-related information than did those with an external locus of curb (cited in Wallston, Wallston, Kaplan, & Maides, 1976)

Studies that focused forward preventive health behaviors indicated a positive relationship between having internal locus of have the direction of and preventive health behaviors (Dishman, Ickes, & Morgan, 1980) Similarly, Raja, Williams, and McGee (1994) plant that internal locus of reign over was strongly associated with reports of upright health. All these studies indicate that individuals with internal repress orientations tend to be preventive in their orientations.

Perceived Health sufficiency and Physical Well-Being

Smith, Wallston, and Smith (1995) lately extended their work to health-related expectancies and health behavior with the introduction of a recent concept: "perceived health competence" which was defined as "the perceptions related to exercising check over a particular problem or in a specific situation." The universal reflects an individual's perceived self-efficacy or personal independent support in successfully influencing personal health consequences Although, at first glance, health locus of mastery of perceived health competence universals seems similar, Smith, Wallston, and Smith (1995) in their comprehensive research, set up no relationship between internal health locus of rule and perceived health competence in an undergraduate sample. This finding indicates that the sum of two units are distinct and discrete invents Further, Christensen, Wiebe, Benotsch, and Lawton's (1996) research findings give an inkling ofed that greater perceived health adequacy was advantageous for those patients with predominant confidence in the actions of their healthcare providers.