Kaniel, Massey and Robinson can't say for sure, but they note that other research has suggested that people who are optimistic by disposition are good at coping with problems and flexible about trying new courses of action when needed.

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Research has shown that they behave as if they are addressing a maximum of three other people, even though a post may go out to hundreds.

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But they caution that the research does not provide the complete answer as there were other behaviours seen in people with autistic spectrum disorders - such as repetitive behaviours - which were not seen in the mice.

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They have experience in close quarters, having spent two years with six other people sealed inside Biosphere 2, a research facility situated on a little over 3 acres in Arizona, in the early 1990s.

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