The developmental origins and future implications of dispositional optimism in the transition to adulthood

Abstract

Despite the robust link between dispositional optimism and well-being across the lifespan, the developmental origins of dispositional optimism are unknown. Understanding the pathways that lead to greater optimism during the transition from adolescence into young adulthood may be important given that this stage of the life course involves the navigation of multiple simultaneous psychosocial demands. Maternal attachment security may contribute to greater optimism by promoting perceptions of internal control. Participants were 218 European American children (98 females; 120 males), who completed self-report measures across four waves. A path analysis tested the associations between maternal attachment security (ages 10 and 14), locus of control (age 14), dispositional optimism (ages 18 and 23), and psychological well-being (age 23). Tests of indirect effects showed that greater perceptions of internal control at age 14 mediated the association between age 10 maternal attachment security and age 18 dispositional optimism. Age 18 dispositional optimism mediated associations between age 14 internal control and age 23 psychological well-being. Maternal attachment security may promote dispositional optimism through a greater internal locus of control in adolescence. Given that optimism promotes well-being throughout the lifespan, identifying the pathways through which optimism develops may contribute to understanding how to promote well-being.

Medidas de Forças de Caráter para Crianças: revisão integrativa da literatura

“…Além disso, o otimismo e a orientação para a felicidade foram avaliados conjuntamente com as forças de caráter/pessoais possivelmente por serem características que contribuem com uma percepção positiva em relação ao futuro, de forma que as situações estressantes sejam superadas. Ainda, crianças otimistas tendem a se sair melhor na escola que as pessimistas, além de serem vistas de forma positiva pelos pares, o que pode diminuir a probabilidade de rejeição por parte de outrem e contribuir para o desenvolvimento de bem-estar (Bandeira, Giacomoni, & Hutz, 2015;Renaud, Barker, Hendricks, Putnick, & Bornstein, 2019). Por fim, a avaliação da desejabilidade social infantil em conjunto com as forças pode ser relevante quando se tem em conta que o conteúdo delas pode ser, em si mesmo, desejável socialmente (Peterson & Seligman, 2004).…”

Positive psychological well‐being and cardiovascular disease: Exploring mechanistic and developmental pathways

“…In particular, adolescence and young adulthood may be a prime candidate for establishing healthy trajectories because it is a period of increasing independence, cognitive capacity, and identity formation (Arnett, 2000; Geller & Boehm, 2020). What is not well understood, however, is how well‐being is initially developed across early life (Coffey, 2018; Luhmann, 2017; Renaud et al., 2019). Higher levels of well‐being in childhood establish optimal psychosocial functioning in adulthood (Coffey et al., 2015; Richards & Huppert, 2011), yet how do youth become more or less happy, satisfied, or optimistic?…”

Optimism: Enduring resource or miscalibrated perception?

“…So how does optimism actually change over time? Fortunately, there have now been a handful of studies that have explicitly tracked optimism throughout life in order to answer this exact question (Chopik et al., 2020; Renaud et al., 2019; Schwaba et al., 2019). These data often come from large panel studies from different parts of the world, such as the Netherlands (Longitudinal Internet Studies for the Social Sciences), the United States (Health and Retirement Study; Midlife in the United States), and Sweden (Swedish Adoption/Twin Study on Aging).…”