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Changes in optimism and pessimism in response to life events: Evidence from three large panel studies.

ABSTRACT: Although individuals vary in how optimistic they are about the future, one assumption that researchers make is that optimism is sensitive to changes in life events and circumstances. We examined how optimism and pessimism changed across the lifespan and in response to life events in three large panel studies (combined N = 74,886). In the American and Dutch samples, we found that optimism increased across younger adulthood, plateaued in midlife, and then decreased in older adulthood. In the German sample, there were inconsistent results with respect to age differences and mean level changes in optimism. Associations between life events and changes in optimism/pessimism were inconsistent across samples. We discuss our results in the context of life events and lifespan development.

SUBMITTER: Chopik WJ

PROVIDER: S-EPMC7405987 | biostudies-literature | 2020 Oct

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

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Changes in optimism and pessimism in response to life events: Evidence from three large panel studies.

Chopik William J WJ Kim Eric S ES Schwaba Ted T Krämer Michael D MD Smith Jacqui J

Journal of research in personality 20200630

Although individuals vary in how optimistic they are about the future, one assumption that researchers make is that optimism is sensitive to changes in life events and circumstances. We examined how optimism and pessimism changed across the lifespan and in response to life events in three large panel studies (combined <i>N</i> = 74,886). In the American and Dutch samples, we found that optimism increased across younger adulthood, plateaued in midlife, and then decreased in older adulthood. In th ...[more]

PMID: 32773905

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Project description:BackgroundChronic Kidney Disease (CKD) patients encounter many obstacles that affect their physical and psychological well-being. The primary objective of the present study was to investigate potential correlates of optimism/pessimism in a sample of patients with CKD, including socio-demographics, body appreciation and disordered eating symptoms. As a secondary objective, we proposed to examine the psychometric properties of an Arabic translation of the Optimism-Pessimism Short Scale-2 (SOP2) before its use in our sample.MethodsA cross-sectional study was carried out between April and May 2023, enrolling 108 participants from three hospitals in Lebanon providing insights into their sociodemographic characteristics, physical activity levels, body appreciation, optimism, pessimism, and eating attitudes.ResultsResults indicated that the Arabic-language adaptation of the SOP2 has good reliability coefficients. The two facets of the scale displayed a strong correlation to each other, and highly similar correlations with external study variables (i.e., household crowding index, physical activity, body appreciation, disordered eating), suggesting that the SOP2 can be interpreted as a unidimensional measure for the psychological dispositional optimism as proposed by the developers. Furthermore, findings revealed a strong positive correlation between body appreciation and optimism, suggesting that CKD patients who appreciate their bodies tend to exhibit a more optimistic outlook on life. Conversely, higher body appreciation is associated with lower pessimism, indicating that a positive body image may mitigate feelings of hopelessness and despair in CKD patients.ConclusionThis study contributes to the literature in two ways. First, it offers the Arabic SOP2 as an brief tool to administer, and psychometrically sound instrument that can be useful for clinical and research purposes. Second, it unveils a clear correlation between higher body appreciation and a more optimistic, less pessimistic mindset in patients with CKD.

Dataset Information

Changes in optimism and pessimism in response to life events: Evidence from three large panel studies.

Publications

Changes in optimism and pessimism in response to life events: Evidence from three large panel studies.

Similar Datasets

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