![]() ![]() A good deal of research has found evidence of such emotional differences (see Scheier et al., 2001). Because pessimists expect bad outcomes, they should experience more negative feelings-anxiety, sadness, and despair. Because optimists expect good outcomes, they are likely to experience a more positive mix of feelings. The balance among such feelings differs between optimists and pessimists. Difficulties elicit many feelings, feelings reflecting both distress and challenge. People also experience emotions in such situations. It can also lead to differences in what coping responses people deploy when confronting a threat such as a cancer diagnosis (Carver et al., 1993 Stanton & Snider, 1993).īehavioral responses are important, but behavior is not the only response when people confront adversity. This can lead to differences in such domains as actions relating to health risks, taking precautions in risky circumstances, and persistence in trying to overcome health threats. Optimists believe adversity can be handled successfully, pessimists expect disaster. Adversity should even exaggerate this difference. Pessimists should be more doubtful and hesitant. When confronting a challenge, optimists should be confident and persistent, even if progress is difficult and slow. In the latter case, the sense of "confidence" versus doubt is simply broader in its focus.įrom these principles come many predictions about optimists and pessimists. These ideas apply to specific values and focused confidence they also apply to optimism and pessimism (Scheier, Carver, & Bridges, 2001). Only if they have enough confidence do people engage (and remain engaged) in goal-directed effort. ![]() If a person lacks confidence, again there is no action. The other core concept is expectancies: a sense of confidence or doubt about attaining the goal. According to this theoretical orientation, unless there is a valued goal, no action occurs. They try to stay away from what they see as undesirable. People try to fit their behavior to what they see as desirable. Goals are actions, end-states, or values that people see as being either desirable or undesirable. Such theories suggest a logical basis for some of the ways in which optimism and pessimism influence people's behavior and emotions.Įxpectancy-value models begin with the idea that behavior is aimed at attaining desired goals (Carver & Scheier, 1998). These concepts have ties to centuries of folk wisdom and also to a class of psychological theories of motivation, called expectancy-value theories. The concepts of optimism and pessimism concern people's expectations for the future. ![]()
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