comparison between optimism and pessimism

Most of the studies cited used the Life Orientation Test (LOT) or its revision (LOT-R) developed by Scheier and his colleagues to measure dispositional optimism, treating dispositional optimism as a unidimensional construct. Compared to pessimists, optimists have been linked to lower levels of markers of inflammation, lower cortisol responses under stress, more adaptive immune responses and post-traumatic growth, lower depression levels, and higher life satisfaction. Especially in uncertain or stressful situations, such as the current COVID-19 pandemic, holding more positive and less negative expectancies about the future is important and protective for individual health. The personality dimension dispositional optimism (expectancies regarding future outcomes) has been widely proven to show strong associations with markers of physical health and subjective well-being across ages and nations. These findings suggest possible avenues for intervening in different aspects of adolescent subjective well-being. Moreover, mediation models showed that reappraisal and acceptance mediated both the link between optimism and life satisfaction and the link between pessimism and depression.

The results from dominance analysis revealed that the presence of optimism was more powerful than the absence of pessimism in predicting adolescent life satisfaction, while the absence of pessimism was more powerful than the presence of optimism in predicting adolescent depression. A sample of 2672 adolescents ( M age = 13.54 years, SD = 1.04 55.60% boys) completed a survey assessing optimism and pessimism, the habitual use of reappraisal and acceptance strategies, life satisfaction, and depression. This study examined the relative strength of optimism and pessimism in predicting adolescent life satisfaction and depression, and further explored the possible mediating mechanisms from the perspective of emotion regulation. However, whether similar findings would be obtained in predicting subjective well-being and the possible underlying mechanisms are still unclear. Prior research has found the differential strength of optimism and pessimism in predicting physical health.

Comparison between optimism and pessimism