TY - JOUR
T1 - Health and well-being consequences of optimism across 25 years in the Rochester Adult Longitudinal Study
AU - Oh, Jeewon
AU - Purol, Mariah F.
AU - Weidmann, Rebekka
AU - Chopik, William J.
AU - Kim, Eric S.
AU - Baranski, Erica
AU - Schwaba, Ted
AU - Lodi-Smith, Jennifer
AU - Whitbourne, Susan K.
N1 - Funding Information:
This research was supported by grants from the National Institute of Aging (2 R03 AG054705-01A1) and the John Templeton Foundation ’s Pathways to Character Initiative awarded to the fourth author. This work was pre-registered using the secondary data analysis pre-registration form (https://osf.io/7zgtp/?view_only = ef25c8a6c56c484ebe1a6dc789d5aa54). The authors would like to thank the participants of the Rochester Adult Longitudinal Study for their sustained engagement in this study of adult development. The authors would also like to thank Dr. Julia Rohrer for her comments and feedback on a previous version of this manuscript.
Publisher Copyright:
© 2022 Elsevier Inc.
PY - 2022/8
Y1 - 2022/8
N2 - How does optimism change over the lifespan and how do changes predict health and well-being? In a pre-registered analysis of the Rochester Adult Longitudinal Study, we examined changes in and outcomes of optimism over 25 years (1989–2014) in 984 adults aged 16–70. Optimism increased over time similarly across participants. However, more optimistic participants at baseline reported engaging in healthier behaviors, better health, higher life satisfaction, and higher purpose in life 25 years later. Disaggregating health behaviors, we found that health-behavior-effects were specific to physical activity and abstaining from harmful substances/food. Because participants increased in optimism at similar rates, more work is needed to examine whether changes in optimism predict outcomes, and what factors account for the homogenous change observed here.
AB - How does optimism change over the lifespan and how do changes predict health and well-being? In a pre-registered analysis of the Rochester Adult Longitudinal Study, we examined changes in and outcomes of optimism over 25 years (1989–2014) in 984 adults aged 16–70. Optimism increased over time similarly across participants. However, more optimistic participants at baseline reported engaging in healthier behaviors, better health, higher life satisfaction, and higher purpose in life 25 years later. Disaggregating health behaviors, we found that health-behavior-effects were specific to physical activity and abstaining from harmful substances/food. Because participants increased in optimism at similar rates, more work is needed to examine whether changes in optimism predict outcomes, and what factors account for the homogenous change observed here.
KW - Health
KW - Lifespan development
KW - Optimism
KW - Rochester Adult Longitudinal Study
KW - Well-being
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U2 - 10.1016/j.jrp.2022.104237
DO - 10.1016/j.jrp.2022.104237
M3 - Article
AN - SCOPUS:85133934353
SN - 0092-6566
VL - 99
JO - Journal of Research in Personality
JF - Journal of Research in Personality
M1 - 104237
ER -