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The social concepts of optimism, pessimism, and realism were investigated by assessing the prototypical acts (thoughts, feelings, goals, and actions) that laypersons assign to optimists, pessimists, and realists responding to a controllable and an uncontrollable situation. Optimists and realists, but not pessimists, were seen as adjusting their beh...
Contexts in source publication
Context 1
... the uncontrollable situation, 35 out of 120 acts were selected (11 acts for optimism, 15 acts for pessimism, and 9 acts for realism). The first three columns of Table 1 display the rele- vant summary statistics for the final act lists. 1 As can be seen, the mean prototypicality ratings indicate that the acts were judged as highly typical of the respective concept. Furthermore, the agreement among raters was high, ranging from 70% to 85%. ...
Context 2
... last three columns of Table 1 show the means, standard devi- ations, and Cronbach's alphas for the participants' reports about the likelihood with which they would engage in optimistic, pessimistic, and realistic acts. As can be seen, the reliabilities of the act reports were adequate to high. ...
Citations
... perceptions and interpretations of injustice events accordingly. For example, due to their positive future outlook, optimists are more likely to interpret events as helpful than as detrimental (Weber et al., 2007). They are more likely to believe that a stressful present can change into a better future (Carver & Scheier, 2014). ...
While optimism – a cognitive disposition that involves positive beliefs about the future – is a strong predictor of wellbeing at work, we know little about its role in how people experience and respond to injustice at work. In other words, does optimism mitigate or exacerbate the experience of workplace injustice? This is an important practical question because optimism is a promising avenue for interventions. Taking an affective events perspective, we expect that daily events of peer injustice trigger affective reactions, and that the degree of trait optimism will influence the strength of these affective reactions. Thus, we develop two competing predictions. The reverse buffer hypothesis, which suggests that optimists’ heightened expectations lead to increased disappointment and hence more negative emotions in the face of injustice, and the buffer hypothesis, which suggests that optimists’ better use of coping strategies allows them to experience less negative emotions. In a 10-day diary study with 251 employees, we find support for the buffer hypothesis of optimism on peer injustice experiences: those higher in optimism reported fewer negative emotions and lower levels of sleep problems the night following such experiences. Our findings illustrate how cognitive and emotional mechanisms interact in predicting reactions to injustice, particularly sleep problems.
... Taken together, the combined contribution is that optimists potentially experience benefits from their attribution of negative uncertain events to preventable causes. Combined with previous research, this suggests that it is healthier to focus on the positively preventable compared to the random risks we experience in everyday life (Rasmussen, Scheier, & Greenhouse, 2009;Weber, Vollmann, & Renner, 2007). ...
This study examines how individual optimism affects attributions about uncertain phenomena. Using a motivated reasoning lens, we theorize that optimism drives people to overestimate the effectiveness of measures meant to prevent accidents. We tested this theory with two studies. The first study assessed attributions about Malaysian Airlines flight MH370 immediately following its disappearance. Individual optimism positively related to the perceived likelihood of an unpredictable explanation, a mentally unstable pilot, and negatively related to the likelihood of mechanical failure. The second study examined attributions about the causes of a hypothetical car crash, finding optimism positively related to preventable factors under the control of drivers. Optimists overestimate their own agency (in the car crash scenario) for promoting safety and the infallibility of institutional systems (airplane disappearance).
... The behavior patterns enacted by the target person were adopted from previous studies using a multi-level procedure based on the act frequency approach to identify situation-specific thoughts, feelings, goals, and actions that laypersons perceived as prototypical of optimists, pessimists, and realists dealing with stressful situations (for details see Weber et al., 2007, and see Peterson, 2000). The prototypical behavior patterns have been validated on established measures of optimism and pessimism . ...
Optimists commonly report a higher availability of supportive others and more received social support than pessimists. However, these results are silent to the question, whether this effect is due to an overly optimistic view of their social environment or whether the social environment actually provides optimists with more support than pessimists. Accordingly, the present study tested in an experimental design whether potential support providers react differently towards optimists, pessimists and realists. Participants viewed videotaped interactions displaying either an optimistic, pessimistic or realistic target person. Results show that the personality, the behavior and the interpersonal attraction of optimists and realists were evaluated more positively than that of pessimists. Nonetheless, participants were equally or even less willing to provide social support to optimists compared to pessimists and realists. Thus, the greater amount of received support reported by optimists possibly represents an optimistically biased perception rather than a veridical reflection of the support they are provided with.
... Wie in den Studien von Vollmann et al. (2007) wurden die prototypischen Verhaltensmuster von Optimisten, Realisten und Pessimisten sowohl in einer kontrollierbaren als auch einer unkontrollierbaren Belastungssituation präsentiert, da in Abhängigkeit von der Kontrollierbarkeit der Situation unterschiedliches Bewältigungsverhalten als effektiv erachtet wird und somit eine Anpassung des Verhaltens an die situationalen Gegebenheiten erforderlich ist (Folkman & Moskowitz, 2004;Weber, 2003). Die präsentierten Verhaltensmuster wurden in den Studien von Weber et al. (2007) auf der Grundlage sozialer Konzeptionen von Optimismus, Pessimismus und Realismus ermittelt. Demnach zeichnen sich Pessimisten aus der Sicht von sozialen Urteilern sowohl in kontrollierbaren als auch unkontrollierbaren Situationen durch ein eher rigides und dysfunktionales Verhaltensmuster aus. ...
... Optimisten hingegen wird ein teilweise adaptives Verhaltensmuster zugeschrieben, in dem zwar die Gedanken und Gefühle an die Kontrollierbarkeit der Situation angepasst werden, jedoch nicht die Ziele und das Verhalten,während Realisten durch eine vollständige Anpassung des Verhaltensmusters gekennzeichnet sind (vgl. Weber et al., 2007). ...
... In der unkontrollierbaren Situation zeichnet sich das realistische Verhaltensmuster durch die Akzeptanz der Situation, positive als auch negative Gefühle, die Aufgabe des Ziels und Versuche der Affektkontrolle aus (vgl. Weber et al., 2007). ...
Zusammenfassung. Soziale Netzwerke und insbesondere soziale Unterstützung werden als ein zentraler vermittelnder Mechanismus zwischen Optimismus und Gesundheit diskutiert. In dieser Studie wird die Annahme geprüft, dass Optimisten, Pessimisten und Realisten unterschiedliche soziale Reaktionen hervorrufen. Den Probanden (N = 168) wurden Vignetten präsentiert, in denen eine Zielperson (Target) optimistisches, pessimistisches bzw. realistisches Bewältigungsverhalten in einer Stresssituation zeigt. Anschließend wurden per Fragebogen (a) die Bewertung des Verhaltens und der Persönlichkeit des Targets, (b) die Sympathie gegenüber dem Target sowie (c) die Bereitschaft zu sozialer Unterstützung erfasst. Hinsichtlich des Verhaltens, der Persönlichkeit sowie der Sympathie wurden die optimistischen und realistischen Targets positiver bewertet als die pessimistischen Targets. Allerdings gingen diese positiveren Bewertungen der Optimisten und Realisten im Vergleich zu den Pessimisten nicht mit einer höheren Unterstützungsbereitschaft einher. Der Zusammenhang zwischen Optimismus und Gesundheit wird möglicherweise nicht nur über die vom sozialen Umfeld tatsächlich zur Verfügung gestellte Unterstützung, sondern auch durch den Ausdruck sozialer Akzeptanz vermittelt.
... For example, breast cancer patients who displayed distress and appeared to have difficulties with coping elicited less favorable social responses from interaction partners than patients who expressed an optimistic view and more positive coping effort (Silver, Wortman, & Crofton, 1990). Given that optimists are typically characterized by positive expectations (Scheier & Carver, 1987), positive mood (e.g., Weber, Vollmann, & Renner, 2007), and adequate coping behavior (e.g., Aspinwall & Taylor, 1992; Scheier et al., 1986), the reported findings suggest that social interaction partners in general react more favorably toward optimists than pessimists. Thus, the higher degree of social support typically reported by optimists presumably represents a veridical reflection of the actual support they are provided with, rather than an optimistically biased perception. ...
... her the positive social effects of optimism may be due to elements of realism in optimists' behavior. To disentangle the potential overlapping effects of optimism and realism on social responses, we explicitly included realism as a third concept, drawing on previous studies in which prototypical aspects of realism and optimism were identified (cf., Weber et al., 2007). The third aspect in which the present studies differed from related research is that we applied a more comprehensive view of optimism, pessimism, and realism by conceptualizing the three concepts as affective-cognitive behavior patterns (including cognitive, affective, motivational, and behavioral components), rather than as pure cogn ...
... The third aspect in which the present studies differed from related research is that we applied a more comprehensive view of optimism, pessimism, and realism by conceptualizing the three concepts as affective-cognitive behavior patterns (including cognitive, affective, motivational, and behavioral components), rather than as pure cognitive dispositions (cf. Peterson, 2000; Weber et al., 2007). More specifically, we assume that the social impact of optimism, realism, and pessimism is not only founded in certain expectations, but relies on a pattern of expressed thoughts and intentions, displayed feelings, and actions that become visible and relevant in social interactions. ...
It has been presumed that the beneficial health effects of optimism are mediated by social support provided by the social environment. To further analyze this assumption, in two experiments (N=240 and N=120) social responses toward optimists, pessimists, and realists were examined. Participants listened to tape-recorded conversations in which optimistic, pessimistic and realistic targets reported how they were dealing with a stressful situation before completing a questionnaire assessing (a) their evaluation of the targets behavior and personality, (b) their attraction to the target, and (c) their willingness to provide the target with social support. Optimistic and realistic targets were viewed more favorably than pessimistic targets, while the behavior of realists was regarded as being more adequate than that of optimists. However, the more positive evaluation of optimists and realists compared to pessimists was not accompanied by a greater willingness to provide them with social support.
Objectives:
The relationship between optimism and cognitive functioning is not fully understood. We examined the association of optimism with risk of mild cognitive impairment (MCI) and dementia in the Women's Health Initiative Memory Study (WHIMS).
Methods:
Optimism was measured by the Life Orientation Test-Revised (LOT-R) total score, and optimism and pessimism subscales. A panel of experts adjudicated cognitive endpoints based on annual cognitive assessments. We used cox proportional hazard regression models to examine the association of LOT-R total score and optimism and pessimism sub-scores with MCI/dementia. We also examined the relationship between vascular disease, LOT-R total score, optimism and pessimism, and cognition.
Results:
Mean age was 70.5 (SD = 3.9) years. The sample (N = 7249) was 87% white, and 29.8% of participants had < 12 years of education. Total LOT-R score (HR = 0.96, 95% CI: 0.94, 0.98, p < 0.001) was associated with lower risk of combined MCI or dementia. More pessimism (HR = 1.08, 95% CI: 1.05, 1.11, p < 0.0001) was associated with higher risk of MCI or dementia after adjustment for ethnicity, education, vascular disease, and depression. No significant relationships emerged from the optimism subscale.
Conclusion:
These data suggest that less pessimism, but not more optimism, was associated with a lower risk of MCI and dementia.
L’objectif de cette étude consiste à vérifier le rôle de l’attitude défaitiste des responsables d’équipe à l’égard de l’innovation dans les processus en considérant le rôle médiateur de la confiance groupale et l’effet modérateur de l’autonomie collective. Les données ont été recueillies par questionnaires auprès de 101 équipes de travail (381 membres et 101 supérieurs immédiats) provenant d’une organisation de sécurité publique située au Canada. Les résultats indiquent que la confiance groupale des membres peut médiatiser la relation entre l’attitude défaitiste et l’innovation dans les processus. De plus, les résultats montrent que la relation entre la confiance groupale et l’innovation est modérée par l’autonomie collective. Plus les membres de l’équipe ont un niveau élevé d’autonomie collective, plus la confiance groupale est associée fortement à l’innovation dans les processus.
The aim of this chapter is to present optimism as a core component of positive health attitudes (PHA). This chapter describes, explores and explains the phenomenological and statistical relationships between optimism (O) and other health related constructs such as sense of coherence (SOC) and self-efficacy (SE). Four reliable and validated research tools were used to collect the data and also served as variables to operationalize PHA, namely Antonovsky's Sense of Coherence Questionnaire (SOC-29); Schwarzer & Jerusalem's Generalised Self-Efficacy Scale, (GSES), Health Behavior Inventory (HBI) and Seligman's Scale (SS). As a consequence, optimism's role and dynamics within PHA have been conceptualized. The following statistical procedures have been used: cluster analysis, REGW-Q test and Pearson's correlation ratio. The results indicate statistically significant differences (p<0.001) between these four variables/constructs: for example, from the statistical point of view it was concluded that the higher the level of optimism the better beliefs in SE.A qualitative-hermeneutical approach to data analysis has been used. The interpretative-phenomenological perspective provides an effective positive self-explanation style in order to symbolize, learn from others, plan alternative strategies, regulate individuals' motivation (through goal aiming notion and one's positive health expectations), behaviour and mood. It is argued that high O may affect one's self-reflection, essential for producing enduring cognitive-emotional change. Furthermore, a high O results in greater control over thoughts, feeling and actions, stress coping strategies, health behaviors and emotional well-being. Also, it has been proposed that increased O along with SOC may lead to an enhanced =behavioural immunology' that leads to better health. A combined essence of these two models may lead to the situation in which stimuli from the outside and inside worlds have a more logical structure that can be predicted and explained, i.e. a global orientation that creates dynamic and persistent self-beliefs may be developed. All the research results from REGWQ tests, Pearson's correlation coefficient, cluster analysis and qualitative methods of data analysis suggest the existence of conceptual similarities between O, HB, SOC and SE and a new empirical-theoretical pattern. This pattern will further be discussed and developed.
