science

Positive mental attitude

Positive mental attitude is a science topic covered in the lgStudy science library. This page brings together a partial reference excerpt, illustrations, worked examples, real-world applications and a short study plan, so you can understand Positive mental attitude rather than just read about it. In short: Positive mental attitude (PMA) is a concept first introduced in 1937 by Napoleon Hill in the book Think and Grow Rich. The book never actually uses the term, but discusses the importance of positive thinking as a contributing factor of success.

Key takeaways

Positive mental attitude belongs to science; place it in that map before memorising details.
Learn the definition first, then one example that makes the definition concrete.
Connect Positive mental attitude to a quantity you can measure, compute or draw — that is where exam questions come from.
Reproduce the core statement of Positive mental attitude from memory before moving on to harder problems.

Reference excerpt

Positive mental attitude (PMA) is a concept first introduced in 1937 by Napoleon Hill in the book Think and Grow Rich. The book never actually uses the term, but discusses the importance of positive thinking as a contributing factor of success. Napoleon, who along with W. Clement Stone, founder of Combined Insurance, later wrote Success Through a Positive Mental Attitude, defines positive mental attitude as comprising the 'plus' characteristics represented by words as faith, integrity, hope, optimism, courage, initiative, generosity, tolerance, tact, kindliness and good common sense. Positive mental attitude is that philosophy which asserts that having an optimistic disposition in every situation in one's life attracts positive changes and increases achievement. Adherents employ a state of mind that continues to seek, find and execute ways to win, or find a desirable outcome, regardless of the circumstances. This concept is the opposite of negativity, defeatism and hopelessness. Optimism and hope are vital to the development of PMA.

Psychology PMA is under the umbrella of positive psychology. In positive psychology, high self-efficacy can help in gaining learned optimism which ultimately leads to PMA. PMA is considered an internal focus of control that influences external factors. Research has shown that through emotional intelligence training and positive psychology therapy, a person's attitudes and perceptions can be modified to improve one's personal and professional life.

Sports A study of Major League Baseball players indicated that a key component that separates major league players from the minor leagues and all other levels is their ability to develop mental characteristics and mental skills. Among them were mental toughness, confidence, maintaining a positive attitude, dealing with failure, expectations, and positive self-talk.

Health Well-meaning friends in the US and similar cultures routinely encourage people with Disease to maintain a positive attitude. However, although a positive attitude confers some immediate advantages and is more comfortable for other people, it does not result in a greater chance of cure or longer survival times. A study done with HIV-positive individuals found that a high health self-efficacy, a task-oriented coping style, and a positive mental attitude were strong predictors for a health-promoting lifestyle which has a significant effect on overall health (coping and surviving).

See also Autosuggestion – Psychological technique related to the placebo effect Creative thinking – Forming something new and somehow valuablePages displaying short descriptions of redirect targets Creative visualization – New Age practicePages displaying short descriptions of redirect targets Émile Coué – French psychologist (1857–1926) Hypnotic Ego-Strengthening Procedure – Hypnotherapeutic procedure Law of attraction – Pseudoscientific belief New Thought – 19th-century American spiritual movement Self-fulfilling prophecy – Prediction that causes itself to become true Self-help – Self-guided improvement Toxic positivity – Construct in psychology Unconditional positive regard – Concept in psychotherapy

References

Worked examples

Example 1 — a first encounter with Positive mental attitude

Start with the simplest possible case. Write down what Positive mental attitude claims or describes in one sentence, then invent the smallest concrete situation in which that sentence is true. In science, the smallest case is usually a single object, a single equation or a single measurement. Check that every symbol or term in your sentence has a meaning in that case.

Example 2 — changing one variable

Take the situation from Example 1 and change exactly one quantity: double it, halve it, or set it to zero. Predict what should happen to Positive mental attitude before you calculate. Comparing your prediction with the result is the fastest way to find out whether you understand the idea or only the words.

Example 3 — an exam-style question

Typical questions about Positive mental attitude ask you to (a) state it precisely, (b) apply it to given data, and (c) explain a limitation. Practise writing all three answers in under five minutes; the third part is what separates a full-mark answer from an average one.

Applications of Positive mental attitude

In research: Positive mental attitude appears in science research whenever the underlying quantities have to be modelled precisely. Papers usually cite it as a starting assumption and then explore where it breaks down.
In technology and industry: Engineering practice reuses Positive mental attitude in design rules, simulations and safety margins. Knowing the idea lets you read a specification sheet and understand why the numbers look the way they do.
In the classroom: Positive mental attitude is common in secondary-school and first-year university syllabi. It links to neighbouring topics 1937 introductions, New Thought beliefs, Optimism, so understanding it makes those chapters shorter.
In everyday life: Look for Positive mental attitude outside the textbook — in sport, cooking, traffic, electronics or the sky above you. An example you found yourself is remembered far longer than one you were given.

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How to study Positive mental attitude in 20 minutes

Read the reference excerpt below once, without taking notes.
Close the page and write down what Positive mental attitude means in your own words.
Compare your version with the excerpt and mark what you missed.
Work through the three examples above with pen and paper.
Explain Positive mental attitude out loud to somebody else — or to Teacher Smith in the lgStudy chat.

Frequently asked questions

What is Positive mental attitude in simple terms?

Why does Positive mental attitude matter?

Because it connects several science ideas at once: it gives you a definition you can apply, a quantity you can calculate, and a way to check whether a result is plausible.

How should I study Positive mental attitude?

Read the excerpt, restate it from memory, then work through the examples and applications listed on this page. The five-step study plan above takes about twenty minutes.

What does this page cover?

It gives you a compact reference excerpt plus original lgStudy explanations, examples, applications and study material on Positive mental attitude.