Optimism and pessimism were prospectively associated with adaptation during the COVID-19 pandemic

Jeewon Oh, Emily N. Tetreau, Mariah F. Purol, Eric S. Kim, William J. Chopik

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

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 languageEnglish (US)
Article number104541
JournalJournal of Research in Personality
Volume113
DOIs
StatePublished - Dec 2024

Keywords

  • COVID-19
  • HRS
  • Loneliness
  • Optimism
  • Pessimism
  • Resilience
  • Risky behaviors

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • Social Psychology
  • General Psychology

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