Cognitively, optimists picture a brighter future, which is likely to be reached through plan-guided behavior. Behaviorally, optimists are more perseverant of goal accomplishments by means of active problem-solving strategies, and they enjoy a higher probability of success. To date, research has differentiated optimists from pessimists in several dynamics. Our results suggest that optimism and pessimism can be viewed as separate yet correlated traits that can be grouped together to explain individual affective and cognitive differences, which encourage the refinement of strategies and interventions used in psychology practice.Īlthough the popular expression of “seeing the glass half full or half empty” might be recognized as a popular cliché to refer to optimists and pessimists outside of the scientific community, little is known about what makes people see the same glass in a different manner. Low levels of optimism, rather than high levels of pessimism, distinguish optimistic from non-optimistic people in the prediction of external outcomes. The results obtained supported our hypothesis that optimists report higher EI, happiness, and life satisfaction levels than those reported by pessimists. Then, using a latent profile analysis, we identified three groups of individuals with a similar optimism–pessimism configuration: optimists, ambivalents, and pessimists. To do that, we introduced a person-centered approach, which offers several advantages in the study of optimism over the extended, predominant variable-centered approach. To answer this question, we examined the extent to which a combination of different levels of optimism and pessimism can differently predict EI, happiness, and life satisfaction in two independent samples (891 adults, 494 adolescents). What are the differences between optimists and pessimists? The aim of this study is to analyze the differences reported by optimists and pessimists in terms of three psychological variables: emotional intelligence (EI), happiness, and life satisfaction.
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