Pollyanna principle

This beloved literary character's story shares the message that despite how hard things may seem, a sunny disposition can turn anyone and anything around.

For example, a series of studies by Emilio Ferrara, a computer scientist at the University of Southern California, found that Twitter users preferentially share more, and are emotionally affected more frequently by, positive information.

[9] Having a positive bias increases with age, as it is more prevalent in adults approaching older adulthood than younger children or adolescents.

[10] Older adults tend to pay attention to positive information, and this could be due to a specific focus in cognitive processing.

[11] Although the Pollyanna principle can be seen as helpful in some situations, some psychologists say it may inhibit an individual from coping effectively with life obstacles.