The Importance of Optimism as an Individual Difference: Evidence for Positive Effects on Physical, M

Optimism and Health

With reference to known correlates, argue that optimism is an important individual difference to study.

Winston Churchhill once said, “A pessimist sees the difficulty in every opportunity; an opportunist sees the opportunity in every difficult”. The difference between optimism and pessimism is the difference in perspective and mindset. An optimist is generally someone who approaches life with a positive outlook while a pessimist tends to see the worst in every situation. While optimism is widely viewed as a highly advantageous trait, there are also others that suggest that optimism can be counter productive.

The potential hypothesis that optimism could be an inherited personality trait or formed by our upbringing or is just a way of thought that can be learned to be positive. If optimism is a way of thinking or a way of life it would mean that we could change our degree of optimism if we wanted to or If optimism is hereditary, it also means our levels of optimism will persist throughout life. I believed both genetic and environmental factors affect optimism. For example, a child growing up in an environment that encourage, and rewards optimism is likely to grow up to be an optimistic adult.

Optimism has been shown to have many positive effects on a person’s wellbeing particularly physical and mental health. There is much evidence to support this. 

Optimism has been found to be predictive of general physical well-being (Scheier & Carver,1985). One such piece of evidence is the study of cardiovascular disease using the Women's Health Initiative data, which was used to analyze the quality of life, chronic illnesses, morbidity and mortality among 95,000 women over a span of 8 years. (Tindle,2009). The participants were free from cardiovascular disease and cancer upon entering the study. Results suggest that optimists are less prone to experience coronary heart disease (CHD), suffer from CHD-related causes, and have fewer deaths attributable to all factors. Optimism has also been associated with a lower death risk for cancer patients (Schulz, Bookwala, Knap, Scheier & Williamson,1996); and of health-related behaviors for both men at risk for AIDS (Taylor et al.,1992) and women during pregnancy (Park, Moore, Turner & Adler,1997; Scheier & Carver,1992). 

Optimism has also been observed to influence mental health. The explanation why optimists tend to have better mental health has to do with their positive emotional responses and coping mechanisms when faced with adverse situations. Optimists tend to concentrate more on problem solving, particularly when they feel that a stressful event is manageable. (Carver, Scheier & Weintraub1989. Fontaine, Manstead & Wagner 1993; Scheier et al.1989) whereas pessimists, by contrast, cope with denial and disengagement. Latest study has found optimists exhibit bias towards positive information, while pessimists show bias towards negative information (Segerstrom,2001). Furthermore, even when optimists are faced with negative situation, they tend to reframe information favorably (Davis, Nolen-Hoeksema & Larson,1996; Park,1998).  In brief, the difference between optimists and pessimists is the way they process good and negative information and their coping mechanisms explain why optimists are usually healthier, happier and better adjusted than pessimists.

Optimism and Mental Health

Depression is one such area where optimism has been found to have a positive effect. Optimistic women have been found to be less likely to suffer from postpartum depression in comparison with pessimistic women (Carve & Gaines, 1987). They are also less likely to suffer from depression after experiencing stressful or traumatic events (Bromberger & Mathews,1996).

Optimists have also been found to be better adapted and cope better with major positive life events such as progression to college (Aspinwall& Taylor, 1992), or negative events such as following an abortion where an optimistic mother is able to cope better with the loss of her child (Cozzarelli, 1993), or inability to conceive a child (Litt, Tennen, Affleck & Klock,1992).

Research on optimism has been extensive in the health context but has recently expanded into the field of social relations. Optimism has been linked to better social support, and the ability to thrive in a broad range of social conditions- this is explained by the finding that optimists maintain large networks across ages, education, and culture. There is also evidence that this linkage works in both directions, as strong social networks can increase optimism (Sergerstrom, 2007).

One particular social relation that optimism has a positive impact on is marriage. Optimists strive to maintain relationships and likewise to engage in other high-priority activities.

On a study of newlyweds by Neff and Geers (2013), optimistic spouses were reported to be more participative in constructive problem-solving than pessimists did, both in a lab-induced marital issues discussion with their partners as well as outside the lab-induced conflict discussion. In terms of interpersonal style, optimism is linked to warmth and slight dominance, which results in greater relationship satisfaction not only for themselves, but also for their spouses (Smith,2013).

Other research suggests optimists gain stronger social support and succeed in a broader variety of social environments owing to their vast network size across age, education, and culture. There is also evidence that this linkage works in both directions, as strong social networks can increase optimism (Sergerstrom,2007). One evidence is the burden of caregiving among wives of men undergoing coronary artery bypass was lower (Ruiz et al.,2006) as optimists manage crisis better than pessimists do (Andersson,2012), possibly owing to their strong social support circle.

There are many benefits of optimism and observations of adverse effects are rare. However there are circumstances in which optimistic expectations may be unwarranted. Their bias towards positive information and problem-focused coping style may be counterproductive.

Some optimists believe that if they persevere and take preventive action one will be able to control the situation. The truth is not all conditions are controllable. They will prefer to disregard potential negative consequences and/or criticism to follow their goals.

Some scholars also speculate that risky behavior is more prevalent among optimists than pessimists, and if optimists feel the outcomes are highly positive, they will not be working to enforce some preventive measures. One such instance of risky behavior is gambling. Gambling is alluring, and especially when players win. Studies on gambling have revealed that optimists had more positive expectations for gambling than pessimists and would be less likely to reduce their betting even after poor outcomes (Gibson & Sanbonmatsu, 2004). Although the study participants are not individuals with gambling issues, the outcome indicates that optimistic individuals are susceptible to such a problem.

Overall, optimism is beneficial in many aspects of people’s life and a desirable trait. For people who are pessimistic, is it then possible for them to become optimistic? Martin Segilman formulated learned optimism in which people describe problems and setbacks to themselves and find a way to overcome them.

In conclusion, optimism is relatively new and important individual difference because many evidences have shown that optimism is beneficial to one’s physical and emotional wellbeing. Later studies have also shown optimism has a great impact on one's social wellbeing, which enhances their interpersonal relationship with others. Although there are also adverse effects of optimism such as risky behaviors and consistently thinking that they can control situations, the benefits of optimism still make it a desirable trait to have.