Abstract
Using longitudinal data from the Health and Retirement Study, we examined the association between optimism/pessimism before the pandemic and adaptation during the COVID-19 pandemic. Overall, optimism was associated with behaviors that reduce COVID-19 transmission and higher psychological well-being (βs>|.196|) through changes in social contacts (indirect effect βs> |.004|) and/or increases in physical activity (βs=|.01|). Separating optimism and pessimism, we found that only pessimism was associated with behaviors that reduce risk, but both optimism and pessimism were associated with psychological well-being. By investigating them in the context of new public health challenges, we found that while the presence of optimism and absence of pessimism may both be resources for well-being, the absence of pessimism may be particularly important for health-relevant behaviors.
Original language | English (US) |
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Article number | 104541 |
Journal | Journal of Research in Personality |
Volume | 113 |
DOIs | |
State | Published - Dec 2024 |
Keywords
- COVID-19
- HRS
- Loneliness
- Optimism
- Pessimism
- Resilience
- Risky behaviors
ASJC Scopus subject areas
- Social Psychology
- General Psychology