Submitted Successfully!
To reward your contribution, here is a gift for you: A free trial for our video production service.
Thank you for your contribution! You can also upload a video entry or images related to this topic.
Version Summary Created by Modification Content Size Created at Operation
1
Yao Zheng
 -- 1346 2024-02-29 09:10:48 |
2 layout
Jessie Wu
 -1 word(s) 1345 2024-03-01 06:12:54 |

Video Upload Options

Do you have a full video?
Send video materials Upload full video

Confirm

Are you sure to Delete?
Yes No
Cite
If you have any further questions, please contact Encyclopedia Editorial Office.
Zheng, Y.; Hou, Y.; Dong, Z. Relationship between Optimism and Subjective Well-Being. Encyclopedia. Available online: https://encyclopedia.pub/entry/55721 (accessed on 29 April 2024).
Zheng Y, Hou Y, Dong Z. Relationship between Optimism and Subjective Well-Being. Encyclopedia. Available at: https://encyclopedia.pub/entry/55721. Accessed April 29, 2024.
Zheng, Yao, Yubo Hou, Zhiwen Dong. "Relationship between Optimism and Subjective Well-Being" Encyclopedia, https://encyclopedia.pub/entry/55721 (accessed April 29, 2024).
Zheng, Y., Hou, Y., & Dong, Z. (2024, February 29). Relationship between Optimism and Subjective Well-Being. In Encyclopedia. https://encyclopedia.pub/entry/55721
Zheng, Yao, et al. "Relationship between Optimism and Subjective Well-Being." Encyclopedia. Web. 29 February, 2024.
Relationship between Optimism and Subjective Well-Being
Edit
This entry is adapted from the peer-reviewed paper 10.3390/bs14030165

Positive psychology has attracted increasing attention from many scholars worldwide. There is a considerable body of knowledge on the relationship between optimism and subjective well-being (SWB). 

optimism subjective well-being positive and negative coping

1. Introduction

With the development of positive psychology in recent decades across the world, a growing number of studies and researchers have shifted their attention from reducing psychiatric and psychological disorders in clinical patients to increasing the mental health and well-being of common people [1]. Among these studies, one continuously proposed argument was that genetics and personality had key impacts on our levels of subjective wellbeing (SWB) and human happiness [2][3][4][5]. The important individual characteristics that were associated with SWB and its subscales included the big five factors of extraversion, conscientiousness, and emotional stability [6][7][8]. Optimism, as an indicator of personal disposition, is generally conceptualized as an attitude toward or cognitive expectancy of positive outcomes [9]. It is believed that people with greater optimism tend to be more favorably adjusted to difficulties, associated with lower levels of anxiety and depression and better physical or psychological wellbeing. In contrast, less optimistic people always expect negative outcomes to happen and thus are more prone to experiencing anxiety, fearfulness, or depression in life [10] (pp. 402–407). It has also been examined that optimism is reliably correlated with improved physical or psychological health, enhanced effective coping skills, and even a higher quality of life and social relationships [11][12][13].
While the evidence from previous research has demonstrated a close relationship between optimism and well-being outcomes, our understanding of their mediating mechanism remains modest so far [12][14]. According to the stress and coping theory of Lazarus and Folkman (1984), which emphasized the importance of coping in the relationship between personality and psychological adjustment, it is reasonable to support the idea that optimism can be correlated with SWB according to a routine of various coping styles, such as self-control strategies, cognitive reappraisal, emotional regulation, and social supports [15][16][17]. However, most of the prior research has primarily focused on a particular type of coping without regarding it as a broad type of coping (i.e., positive vs. negative coping) in its analyses, and the conclusions were not consistent with each other [15][17]. Moreover, the majority of current research has only been conducted in W.E.I.R.D. (Western, Educated, Industrial, Rich, and Democratic) countries, particularly in the U.S. [18], which makes it worthwhile to further explore the relationships between optimism, coping, and SWB in some East Asian countries.

2. Optimism and Subjective Wellbeing

Optimism is generally conceptualized as involving positive cognition and favorable attitudes toward the future [19]. Two predominant and congruent theories are commonly employed to elucidate the functions and impacts of optimism on outcomes. The first is Seligman’s [20] explanatory style model, which underscores the ways individuals explain past positive or negative events. Those who attribute positive events to internal and stable causes are considered optimists and are often characterized by their characteristics of persistence and hope and expectations of a better future [21]. The second model is the self-regulatory theory proposed by Carver and Scheier [22]. In this model, optimism involves a series of self-identification and assessment processes, motivating active engagement in daily life. When individuals perceive achievable goals and anticipate favorable results, they are more likely to employ increased effort and effective coping skills, even when facing difficulties or challenges [23]. For the sake of simplicity, this research focuses mainly on the trait-like nature of optimism in influencing its psychological outcome, SWB, in Chinese individuals, while it is worth noting that researchers have acknowledged the potential for optimism to exhibit variations over time [21][24].
As a specific domain of mental health and well-being, SWB represents individual evaluations of personal lives, encompassing cognitive and affective dimensions. It is commonly operationalized through measures such as life satisfaction (LS), representing one’s satisfaction or enjoyment in life; positive affect (PA), indicating the frequency of positive experiences; and negative affect (NA), reflecting the frequency of negative experiences in life [2][25]. While the tripartite structure of SWB is popular among researchers, the use of a single-item measurement for SWB has also been deemed appropriate and effective in certain studies [26]. Additionally, concepts such as quality of life and global or domain-specific life satisfaction (i.e., academic satisfaction) could also be employed as proxies for SWB in research [3][13][14][27]. Alternative methods for assessing SWB encompass physiological measures, memory and reaction time measures, and experience-sampling methods (ESM), aiming for a more comprehensive understanding of changes in feelings over time [2] (p. 35).
Based on a comprehensive review of the findings regarding the impact of trait optimism on SWB, the previous research encompasses a diverse array of contexts and participants [2]. These include clinical patients in medical settings, school students undergoing life transitions, and workers or entrepreneurs in organizational environments [11][27][28]. To date, two main interests of research have been conducted. The first type includes cross-sectional studies, revealing that lower optimism is associated with increased emotional distress and psychological disorders during challenging times [23][27]. Conversely, higher optimism correlates with greater life satisfaction and more positive emotions, coupled with reduced negative emotions [28][29][30]. The second type involves longitudinal studies, demonstrating that greater optimism not only is linked to fewer depression symptoms but also predicts a higher life satisfaction and quality of life at subsequent time points, even after accounting for the initial level of emotions [10][14][31]. Evidently, the second type of research provides more robust evidence supporting the beneficial effects of optimism on mental health and SWB compared to the first type. Overall, it is suggested that optimism, particularly trait optimism, maintains a positive association with SWB and its three components.

3. Optimism, Coping, and Subjective Wellbeing

While numerous empirical studies have demonstrated a close association between optimism and SWB in the West, the inner mechanism of this relationship is not fully understood [12][32]. Notably, there is a scarcity of studies conducted specifically with samples of Asian or Chinese populations in this field [16]. Considering the motivational component and goal-oriented behaviors associated with optimism, it is plausible to view actively coping with obstacles as an effective means for optimists to achieve SWB, along with other psychological adjustments [11][15][23]. In a meta-analysis focusing on optimism and coping relationships, a lot of evidence supported the association between optimism and different coping strategies, such as engagement vs. disengagement coping or problem-focused vs. emotion-focused coping [33]. In summary, optimism had a positive impact on approach (or positive) coping strategies like planning, behavior engagement, and support-seeking, whereas exhibiting a negative impact on avoidance (or negative) coping strategies, such as emotional suppression, behavior disengagement, and wishful thinking.
In line with stress and coping theory, individuals are inclined to experience less stress and more positive feelings when effectively coping with life stressors [34]. Recent research evidence also suggests that SWB can be influenced by different types of adaptive and maladaptive coping strategies [16][17]. Adaptive coping strategies, such as problem-focused coping and assistance pursuit coping, are associated with higher happiness and SWB, whereas maladaptive coping strategies, such as emotion-focused coping and low work control, are linked to a lower quality of life and SWB [17][35]. Consequently, researchers posit that positive and negative coping strategies may have opposing impacts on SWB. Specifically, positive coping strategies are expected to have favorable influences on SWB. In contrast, negative coping skills are anticipated to have unfavorable impacts on SWB.
Generally, individuals with optimism tend to possess self-confidence and expectations conducive to effective problem-solving and the development of a high-quality life over the long term [23]. Consequently, in theory, optimism should be associated with positive coping styles, leading to reduced experiences of stress and elevated levels of SWB. Consistent findings from previous studies indicated that optimism may be related to mental health and SWB according to various coping styles, such as increased social support, fighting spirit, humor, and task-oriented coping, particularly in the face of stressful situations and poor health [11][13][23]. However, the recent research has presented inconsistent findings, revealing the weak and insignificant indirect effects of optimism on SWB according to some types of coping strategies, such as primary and secondary self-control, in a sample of Japanese individuals [15] (pp. 41–42). These disparities may be attributed to either the mixed and intricate effects coping has on SWB or the distinctions in the sample characteristics between Eastern and Western populations [15].

References

  1. Seligman, M.E.; Csikszentmihalyi, M. Positive psychology: An introduction. Am. Psychol. 2000, 55, 5–14.
  2. Diener, E. Subjective well-being: The science of happiness and a proposal for a national index. Am. Psychol. 2000, 55, 34–43.
  3. Diener, E. The remarkable changes in the science of subjective well-being. Perspect. Psychol. Sci. 2013, 8, 663–666.
  4. Albuquerque, I.; de Lima, M.P.; Matos, M.; Figueiredo, C. Personality and subjective well-being: What hides behind global analyses? Soc. Indic. Res. 2012, 105, 447–460.
  5. Anglim, J.; Horwood, S.; Smillie, L.D.; Marrero, R.J.; Wood, J.K. Predicting psychological and subjective well-being from personality: A meta-analysis. Psychol. Bull. 2020, 146, 279–323.
  6. Hills, P.; Argyle, M. Emotional stability as a major dimension of happiness. Personal. Individ. Differ. 2001, 31, 1357–1364.
  7. Steel, P.; Schmidt, J.; Shultz, J. Refining the relationship between personality and subjective well-being. Psychol. Bull. 2008, 134, 138–161.
  8. Olaru, G.; van Scheppingen, M.A.; Stieger, M.; Kowatsch, T.; Fluckiger, C.; Allemand, M. The effects of a personality intervention on satisfaction in 10 domains of life: Evidence for increases and correlated change with personality traits. J. Personal. Soc. Psychol. 2023, 125, 902–924.
  9. Scheier, M.F.; Carver, C.S.; Bridges, M.W. Distinguishing optimism from neuroticism (and trait anxiety, self-mastery, and self-esteem): A reevaluation of the life orientation test. J. Personal. Soc. Psychol. 1994, 67, 1063–1078.
  10. Carver, C.S.; Scheier, M.F. Optimism, coping, and well-being. In The Handbook of Stress and Health: A Guide to Research and Practice; Wiley Blackwell: Hoboken, NJ, USA, 2017; pp. 400–414.
  11. Brissette, I.; Scheier, M.F.; Carver, C.S. The role of optimism in social network development, coping, and psychological adjustment during a life transition. J. Personal. Soc. Psychol. 2002, 82, 102–111.
  12. Oriol, X.; Miranda, R.; Bazán, C.; Benavente, E. Distinct routes to understand the relationship between dispositional optimism and life satisfaction: Self-control and grit, positive affect, gratitude, and meaning in life. Front. Psychol. 2020, 11, 907.
  13. Boileau, L.; Gaudreau, P.; Gareau, A.; Chamandy, M. Some days are more satisfying than others: A daily-diary study on optimism, pessimism, coping, and academic satisfaction. Br. J. Educ. Psychol. 2021, 91, 46–62.
  14. Daukantaitė, D.; Zukauskiene, R. Optimism and subjective well-being: Affectivity plays a secondary role in the relationship between optimism and global life satisfaction in the middle-aged women. longitudinal and cross-cultural findings. J. Happiness Stud. 2012, 13, 1–16.
  15. Long, L.J. A Cross-Cultural Comparison of the Relationship between Optimism and Subjective Well-Being in Japan and the United States. Ph.D. Thesis, University of Houston, Houston, TX, USA, 2018.
  16. Chang, E.C.; Yi, S.; Liu, J.; Kamble, S.V.; Zhang, Y.; Shi, B.; Ye, Y.; Fang, Y.; Cheng, K.; Xu, J.; et al. Coping behaviors as predictors of Hedonic well-being in Asian Indians: Does being optimistic still make a difference? J. Happiness Stud. 2020, 21, 289–304.
  17. Fischer, R.; Scheunemann, J.; Moritz, S. Coping strategies and subjective well-being: Context matters. J. Happiness Stud. 2021, 22, 3413–3434.
  18. Baranski, E.; Sweeny, K.; Gardiner, G.; Funder, D.C. International Optimism: Correlates and Consequences of Dispositional Optimism across 61 Countries. J. Personal. 2020, 89, 288–304.
  19. Peterson, C. The future of optimism. Am. Psychol. 2000, 55, 44–55.
  20. Seligman, M. Learned Optimism; Knopf: New York, NY, USA, 1998.
  21. Kluemper, D.H.; Little, L.M.; DeGroot, T. State or trait: Effects of state optimism on job-related outcomes. J. Organ. Behav. Int. J. Ind. Occup. Organ. Psychol. Behav. 2009, 30, 209–231.
  22. Carver, C.S.; Scheier, M.F. Attention and Self-Regulation: A Control-Theory Approach to Human Behavior; Springer: New York, NY, USA, 1981.
  23. Carver, C.S.; Scheier, M.F.; Segerstrom, S.C. Optimism. Clin. Psychol. Rev. 2010, 30, 879–889.
  24. Ho, C.M.; Wyer, R.S., Jr. It’s ok to think in a bad way: How state optimism and pessimism influence risk-taking. Int. J. Consum. Stud. 2023, 47, 801–811.
  25. Metler, S.J.; Busseri, M.A. Further evaluation of the tripartite structure of subjective well-being: Evidence from longitudinal and experimental studies: Structure of subjective well-being. J. Personal. 2017, 85, 192–206.
  26. Lucas, R.E.; Donnellan, M.B. How stable is happiness? Using the STARTS model to estimate the stability of life satisfaction. J. Res. Personal. 2007, 41, 1091–1098.
  27. Marton, G.; Monzani, D.; Vergani, L.; Pizzoli, S.F.M.; Pravettoni, G. Optimism is a strategy for making a better future: A systematic review on the associations of dispositional optimism with health-related quality of life in cancer patients. Eur. Psychol. 2022, 27, 41–61.
  28. Lindblom, A.; Lindblom, T.; Wechtler, H. Dispositional optimism, entrepreneurial success and exit intentions: The mediating effects of life satisfaction. J. Bus. Res. 2020, 120, 230–240.
  29. Kleiman, E.M.; Chiara, A.M.; Liu, R.T.; Jager-Hyman, S.G.; Choi, J.Y.; Alloy, L.B. Optimism and well-being: A prospective multi-method and multi-dimensional examination of optimism as a resilience factor following the occurrence of stressful life events. Cogn. Emot. 2017, 31, 269–283.
  30. Zhang, J.; Miao, D.; Sun, Y.; Xiao, R.; Ren, L.; Xiao, W.; Peng, J. The impacts of attributional styles and dispositional optimism on subject well-being: A structural equation modelling analysis. Soc. Indic. Res. 2014, 119, 757–769.
  31. Kaida, N.; Kaida, K. Positive associations of optimism–pessimism orientation with pro-environmental behavior and subjective well-being: A longitudinal study on quality of life and everyday behavior. Qual. Life Res. 2019, 28, 3323–3332.
  32. Margolis, S.; Lyubomirsky, S. Cognitive outlooks and well-being. In Handbook of Well-Being; Diener, E., Oishi, S., Tay, L., Eds.; DEF Publishers: Salt Lake City, UT, USA, 2018.
  33. Nes, L.S.; Segerstrom, S.C. Dispositional optimism and coping: A meta-analytic review. Personal. Soc. Psychol. Rev. 2006, 10, 235–251.
  34. Lazarus, R.S.; Folkman, S. Stress, Appraisal, and Coping; Springer: New York, NY, USA, 1984.
  35. Ryu, G.W.; Yang, Y.S.; Choi, M. Mediating role of coping style on the relationship between job stress and subjective well-being among Korean police officers. BMC Public Health 2020, 20, 470.
More
© Text is available under the terms and conditions of the Creative Commons Attribution (CC BY) license; additional terms may apply. By using this site, you agree to the Terms and Conditions and Privacy Policy.
Upload a video for this entry
Information
Subjects: Psychology
Contributors MDPI registered users' name will be linked to their SciProfiles pages. To register with us, please refer to https://encyclopedia.pub/register :
Yao Zheng
,
Yubo Hou
,
Zhiwen Dong
View Times: 85
Revisions: 2 times (View History)
Update Date: 01 Mar 2024
Table of Contents
    1000/1000
    Hot Most Recent
    Feedback