The PASTOR framework is an exciting development in research on stress because it takes a transdiagnostic view of mechanisms of resilience. The framework would be further strengthened if it were revised to account for its inconsistencies with the existing literature on the behavioral and neural mechanisms of positive illusions. Positive illusions are the human tendency to appraise stressors, situations, personal control, and personal abilities as more positive or “non-negative” than is indicated by objective measures (Taylor & Brown Reference Taylor and Brown1988).

It is understandable that the PASTOR framework may not have initially addressed this existing research because of the focus on generating hypotheses that cross human and animal research. Positive illusions have not been a focus of animal research because of measurement challenges. The positive illusions appraisal style is, however, a fundamental aspect of human cognition with important consequences for resilience (e.g., Colvin et al. Reference Colvin, Block and Funder1995; Robins & Beer Reference Robins and Beer2001; Taylor & Brown Reference Taylor and Brown1988). Therefore, the behavioral and neural research on positive illusions warrants incorporation into any meaningful framework of the association between appraisal style and resilience.

Despite initial hypotheses to the contrary, three decades of research find that this positive appraisal style has only short-term benefits for managing stress (e.g., Colvin et al. Reference Colvin, Block and Funder1995; Robins & Beer Reference Robins and Beer2001; Taylor & Brown Reference Taylor and Brown1988). For example, students characterized by this positive appraisal style are more resilient in the face of immediate, short-term stressors but show long-term decline when emotional well-being is tracked over the four years of college (Robins & Beer Reference Robins and Beer2001; Thomaes et al. Reference Thomaes, Reijntjes, Orobio de Castro and Bushman2009). Furthermore, this positive appraisal style undermines the ability to develop strong social networks of support (i.e., social relationships tend to be poor: Colvin et al. Reference Colvin, Block and Funder1995; Paulhus Reference Paulhus1998). In contrast to the main hypothesis of the PASTOR framework, this research suggests that positive appraisals of stressors have a short shelf life as a mechanism of resilience.

Furthermore, the PASTOR framework proposes that positive appraisals draw on costly executive function; yet research finds that cognitive demand increases positive appraisals rather than diminishing them. Time restrictions or distracting tasks tend to exacerbate the positivity of appraisals about one's qualities or future, and that effect persists when stressors challenge positive self-evaluations (e.g., Beer et al. Reference Beer, Chester and Hughes2013; Paulhus et al. Reference Paulhus, Graf and Van Selst1989). These findings suggest that positive appraisal either does not rely on executive function or relies on executive function that has become so practiced that it is not undermined when cognitive resources are taxed.

Finally, the target article partially draws candidate neural networks from studies that instructed participants to reappraise situations in a positive manner, yet it ignores the literature on the neural basis of spontaneously occurring positive illusions. This literature suggests that functional connectivity between orbitofrontal cortex (OFC) and the striatum supports the tendency to maintain positive appraisals in stressful circumstances (Flagan & Beer Reference Flagan and Beer2013; Hughes & Beer Reference Hughes and Beer2012a; Reference Hughes and Beer2012b; Reference Hughes and Beer2013). For example, increased functional connectivity between OFC and striatum supports the ability to positively appraise the self in the face of contrary information (Hughes & Beer Reference Hughes and Beer2013). Therefore, the PASTOR model should be revised to include the neural research on spontaneous positive appraisals of stressors.