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Mack, Steven Allen. "Desperate optimism." Thesis, National Library of Canada = Bibliothèque nationale du Canada, 2000. http://www.collectionscanada.ca/obj/s4/f2/dsk1/tape4/PQDD_0019/MQ55183.pdf.
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Liu, Caimei. "Understanding optimism." Thesis, University of Edinburgh, 2016. http://hdl.handle.net/1842/22005.
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I present seven empirical studies that investigate two main themes regarding two main approaches of optimism: explanatory style and dispositional optimism. The first theme incorporates measurement issues and conceptual ideas of optimism and the second involves optimism interventions on depressive symptoms. In Study 1 I explored the potential psychometric structure of causal attributions and dispositional optimism. Attributions may be best viewed as reflecting large differences in cognitive style, and smaller independent positive- and negative-event biases. For dispositional optimism, a two-factor model was supported. Study 2 examined correlations between optimism and the Five-Factor Model of personality. Dispositional optimism and explanatory style had similar association patterns with personality, although there were some differences. Study 3 tested and supported a model in which dispositional optimism mediates the link between explanatory style and psychological well-being. Study 4 compared the levels of optimism expression in two ethnic groups, finding that Mainland Chinese participants were more optimistic and less pessimistic than White British. Study 5 examined attributional biases and found that individuals show more optimistic biased style for themselves than for other people. Studies 6 and 7 tested effectiveness of optimism interventions on depressive symptoms. It demonstrated that self-monitored optimism interventions on a daily basis could effectively reduce depressive symptoms and increase optimistic explanatory style. Taken together, the studies replicated some previous investigations regarding measurement issues and conceptual ideas of optimism, and explored novel approaches to examining the essence of attributional bias and effectiveness of optimism interventions in depression treatment. My investigation of attributional bias is the first to test this idea using new and comparable measures of attributions. Practicing self-administered optimism interventions is, to my knowledge, also the first time these interventions have been applied in a sample with mild-to-moderate depressive symptoms. This may provide an easily monitored and low-cost alternative to traditional treatments of depression.
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Juárez, Mirelles Mercedes Yovana, Peje Enrique Alberto Pardave, Chichipe Luz Angélica Morocho, and Room Mario Guillermo Mateo. "APP Mobile car." Bachelor's thesis, Universidad Peruana de Ciencias Aplicadas (UPC), 2018. http://hdl.handle.net/10757/625881.
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El presente proyecto está basado en el análisis del siguiente problema: personas que tienen auto y requieren del servicio de mantenimiento, pero cuentan con tiempos limitados por lo que se plantea brindar una alternativa de solución rápida, eficiente y con la confianza necesaria, trasladando el servicio que ofrece un taller automotriz de local fijo, hacia el punto de ubicación del usuario sea este domicilio o trabajo.
El monto de inversión inicial que representa el proyecto es de S/ 77 096 soles, como inicio de operaciones aportado por los cuatro socios fundadores de APP MOBILE CAR.
En la actualidad presentamos un escenario de mercado automotriz optimista con una industria cada vez más competitiva y dinámica donde la nueva tendencia van de la mano con era digital (App) que van revolucionando el mercado automotriz. Un estudio realizado por la empresa Brandwatch indica lo siguiente: Para el año 2020, un 40% de los nuevos consumidores de automóviles serán millennials. De ellos, un 88% navega por internet, complementando que hasta Abril del presente 2018 el mercado peruano ha crecido un 33.4 %. Esto representa estabilidad, solidez y crecimiento para APP MOBILE CAR donde se refleja optimismo de los consumidores generado por la estabilidad que estamos viviendo.The present project is based on the analysis of the following problem: people who have a car and require maintenance service, but have limited time for what is proposed to provide a quick, efficient and trustworthy alternative solution, transferring the service which offers a fixed-site automotive workshop, to the point of user's location, whether this address or work. The initial investment amount represented by the project is S / 77 096 soles, as start of operations contributed by the four founding partners of APP MOBILE CAR. Currently we present an optimistic automotive market scenario with an increasingly competitive and dynamic industry where the new trend goes hand in hand with the digital era (App) that are revolutionizing the automotive market. A study conducted by the company Brandwatch indicates the following: By the year 2020, 40% of new car consumers will be millennials. Of these, 88% surf the Internet, complementing that until April of the present 2018 the Peruvian market has grown by 33.4%. This represents stability, solidity and growth for APP MOBILE CAR which reflects the optimism of consumers generated by the stability we are experiencing.
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Hinze, Travis Wayne. "A Continuation in the Defining of the Construct of Optimism." Thesis, University of North Texas, 1997. https://digital.library.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metadc277984/.
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One hundred twenty-two undergraduate students at the University of North Texas were administered several different optimism scales and also measures of similar constructs such as hope. Results indicated that most measures of optimism show only low to moderate intercorrelations with other measures of the same construct. Additionally, factor analysis confirmed that the measures of optimism actually appear to be assessing multiple factors and not necessarily optimism alone. Implications of the present study include the necessity of individual researchers to be familiar with the specific measure of optimism used in a given study as scores on differing measures of optimism may actually be providing very different information.
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Frost, Sara M. "Optimism at Work: Developing and Validating Scales to Measure Workplace Optimism." Antioch University / OhioLINK, 2021. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=antioch161817296993158.
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Hellenrud, Hagström Anna. "Optimism och stress : En enkätundersökning om förhållandet mellan självupplevd optimism och stress." Thesis, Karlstads universitet, Fakulteten för ekonomi, kommunikation och IT, 2008. http://urn.kb.se/resolve?urn=urn:nbn:se:kau:diva-3862.
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The idea with this study is to examine if there are a connection between how optimistic people are in relation to how stressed they feel. The result from the survey is based on materials from a questionnaire has been sent to fifty persons of varying age and sexes. The questionnaire has also been sent to students from Karlstad University but also to friends and acquaintances. The data is measured with SE- and LOT-tests. The issues concerned in which scope respondents experiences themselves stressed and optimistic and how the connection is between experienced stress and optimism in relation to results on the figure tests. This study showed a significant difference in average LOT-points and results in SE. Likewise, a significant difference was shown in average LOT-points and energy results. High LOT-points tend to give lower stress-points while low LOT-points are associated with high stress-points.
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Rose, Jason Paul. "Approach-avoidance and optimism." Diss., University of Iowa, 2009. https://ir.uiowa.edu/etd/317.
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It is a widely assumed principle that organisms reflexively approach possibilities for pleasure and avoid possibilities for pain. However, highly evolved organisms not only reflexively react to future possibilities of pleasure vs. pain, but also evaluate the chance or risk of actually experiencing such possibilities. Given the import of optimism judgments in shaping behavior and other outcomes, the main goal of the current research was to examine the relationship between the rudimentary systems of approach-avoidance that orient us toward possible outcomes in the environment and the higher-order optimism judgments we make when evaluating whether such outcomes are likely to occur. To this end, two experiments examined the impact of approach-avoidance cues in shaping participants' optimism judgments about experiencing positive and negative future life events. For the primary operationalization of approach-avoidance, college student participants engaged in arm flexion (a motor movement associated with approach) or arm extension (a motor movement associated with avoidance) while simultaneously making optimism judgments about experiencing a range of positive and negative events in the future. A secondary operationalization involved correlations computed between participants' chronic personality tendencies related to approach-avoidance (e.g., positive vs. negative affectivity) and their optimism judgments. The results of these experiments revealed complexities in the relationship between approach-avoidance and optimism, suggesting that when, how and why approach-avoidance cues will shape optimism may critically depend upon 1) the specific operationalization of approach-avoidance, 2) how optimism is measured, and 3) characteristics of the outcomes under consideration. Explanations for the complexities in the results are offered, and attempts are made to link the current work to broader theoretical and practical aspects of the connection between approach-avoidance and optimism.
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Krzeminski, Aurélie. "La dimension compétitive de l'optimisme comparatif : Une contribution expérimentale à l'étude de l'impact de la compétition sur la perception auto-avantageuse de l'avenir." Thesis, Nice, 2015. http://www.theses.fr/2015NICE2002/document.
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La perception optimiste que les gens ont de l’avenir a fait l’objet de nombreuses études. Elles ont conduit à observer une expression auto-avantageuse lors des comparaisons de son avenir à celui d’autrui (i.e., l’optimisme comparatif). Ces études ont examiné minutieusement les conditions de son émergence et ses explications intra-individuelles (motivationnelles et cognitives). D’autres études, rares mais souvent convaincantes, ont montré l’impact de la situation, de la position sociale et de la culture dans lesquelles l’optimisme comparatif est exprimé. Les explications qui en découlent interrogent plus largement l’influence des systèmes idéologiques, dans lesquelles sont insérés les gens, sur l’expression de l’optimisme comparatif. Ce dernier, principalement obtenu dans les cultures occidentales et des systèmes idéologiques libéraux, caractérisés par une dimension compétitive forte, entretient de nombreux liens avec la compétition. Afin de tester la dimension compétitive de l’optimisme comparatif ou dans quelle mesure la compétition facilite l’expression d’optimisme comparatif, nous avons mené sept études. Pour l’essentiel, elles montrent que la compétition tend à être associée à l’optimisme comparatif et à l’accroître. En outre, elles montrent la dimension d’utilité sociale de l’optimisme comparatif et que la relation entre compétition et optimisme comparatif est médiatisée par les buts de performances. Nous en concluons que l’optimisme comparatif, reflet de la compétition induite par la comparaison à autrui, est l’expression des conditions, notamment idéologiques, ultra-compétitives de nos sociétés occidentales, dans lesquelles il est expriméOptimistic perception that people have of the future has been the subject of numerous studies. They led to observe an advantageous self expression when comparing his future to that of others (i.e., comparative optimism). These studies have scrutinized the conditions of its emergence and its intra-individual explanations (motivational and cognitive). Other studies rare but often compelling, showed the impact of the situation, social position and culture in which the comparative optimism is expressed. Explanations ensuing question more broadly the influence of ideological systems in which people are inserted, the expression of comparative optimism. The latter, obtained mainly in Western cultures and liberal ideological systems, characterized by strong competitive dimension, maintains many links with the competition. To test the competitive dimension of comparative optimism or to what extent the competition facilitates the expression of comparative optimism, we conducted seven studies. In essence, they show that the competition tends to be associated with comparative optimism and grow. In addition, they show the dimension of social utility of comparative optimism and the relationship between competition and comparative optimism is mediated by performance goals. We conclude that the comparative optimism, reflecting the competition induced by comparison to others, is the expression of conditions, including ideological, ultra-competitive in our Western societies in which it is expressed
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Åberg, Emma. "Investigating the Neural Substrates and Neural Markers of Optimism and Optimism Bias : A Systematic Review." Thesis, Högskolan i Skövde, Institutionen för biovetenskap, 2021. http://urn.kb.se/resolve?urn=urn:nbn:se:his:diva-20609.
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Optimism refers to peoples’ general tendency to anticipate good outcomes in areas that are important to them. Numerous studies have shown that optimism is significantly correlated with improved physical and mental health. Optimism can come to an overly optimistic degree, called optimism bias. People generally expect better outcomes and fewer negative events to happen for themselves in the future compared to the average person. There are two sides to this: being optimistically biased might lead to risky behavior, but it might also ease people's worries about the future. To have a consistently negative view is suggested to correlate with depressive symptoms and worsened health. The aim of this thesis is to investigate the neural correlates and functional markers of optimism and optimism bias. Optimism is suggested to correlate with gray-matter volume in the thalamus, orbitofrontal cortex (OFC), and bilateral putamen. The inferior frontal gyrus (IFG) and the rostral anterior cingulate cortex (rACC) have a crucial role in dismissing undesirable information and self referential processing. Research regarding this issue might be beneficial for further understanding of the connection between optimism and well-being.
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Machaty, Agnes. "Dispositional Optimism and Marital Adjustment." UKnowledge, 2013. http://uknowledge.uky.edu/hes_etds/7.
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This project examined dispositional optimism and its influence on the three subscales of marital adjustment (consensus, satisfaction, and cohesion) by gender. Data for this study came from Wave 2 and 3 of the National Survey of Families and Households. The Actor Partner Interdependence Model (APIM) was used to examine both actor and partner effects of dispositional optimism on the marital adjustment subscales using the program AMOS. Results indicate that wives’ optimism seem to influence their own later marital satisfaction as well as their husbands’ later marital satisfaction. However, husbands’ optimism appeared to influence neither their own nor their wives’ later satisfaction. These results imply that wives’ optimism matters for marital satisfaction, whereas husbands’ does not.
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Duffy-Friedman, Margaret. "Academic Optimism in High Schools." Cleveland State University / OhioLINK, 2007. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=csu1201035546.
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Boyle, Patrick E. "Provider Optimism About Consumer Recovery." Case Western Reserve University School of Graduate Studies / OhioLINK, 2016. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=case1467132089.
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Storck, Aaron. "Waveform Analogy, Experimentation, and Optimism." VCU Scholars Compass, 2014. http://scholarscompass.vcu.edu/etd/3388.
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This paper offers a contextualization of my art practice, within particular trends in contemporary art and its discourse. It traces an expressed interest in networked objects, and the indeterminacy of meaning in art; from researched examples and texts, through specific expressions of these ideas in my thesis art exhibition. The paper then outlines key areas of practical interest to the experimental viability of my art practice. The paper goes on to explore the relationships between indeterminacy, experimentation, and creativity in the arts; within the context of an original thought experiment that draws an analogy between topics in physics and the human mind. Non-rational art ideas are lauded for their uniquely explorative potential within this conjectural model. Optimism, and a will to think experimentally, are offered as the abiding principles of my art practice; as well as being universal tools that all human beings can depend upon.
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Grenon, Karine. "Le rôle médiateur du désespoir et de l'optimisme entre la motivation face à la vie et les idéations suicidaires chez les étudiants universitaires du Saguenay-Lac-St-Jean /." Thèse, Chicoutimi : Université du Québec à Chicoutimi, 2000. http://theses.uqac.ca.
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Nam, JeeHae Sophia. "Optimism Matters: Examining the Role of Optimism, Social Engagement, and International Mobility in Migrant Well-being." Thesis, Boston College, 2015. http://hdl.handle.net/2345/bc-ir:104758.
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Thesis advisor: David L. BlusteinGlobalization has had many implications on the world’s economy, culture, mobility, and experience of work. Of these, global human migration, or international mobility, is often used as the prime indicator of globalization (United Nations Population Fund [UNPFA]; 2013). Evidence suggests that multiple international relocations, with the accompanying loss of familiar spatial environments, social relationships, and social institutions, are deleterious to human well-being. However, literature has yet to elucidate the mechanisms that contribute to the difficulties associated with high rates of international mobility. Using a multinational dataset of responses gathered from 255 internationally mobile employees at 24 worksites in 11 different countries (i.e. Botswana, Japan, Brazil, Spain, China, United Kingdom, India, United States, Mexico, South Africa), this exploratory study tested a structural model delineating the relationships among the rate of international mobility, dispositional optimism, social engagement and well-being, as defined by life satisfaction, job satisfaction, and functional health. Structural equation modeling and follow-up multiple regression analyses found optimism to have the greatest in impact on predicting the levels of job satisfaction, life satisfaction, and functional health, above all other demographic and observed predictors in the study. The rate of international mobility had a significant negative impact on job satisfaction, but not on functional health or life satisfaction. In addition, the frequency of an individual’s in-person interactions with family, friends, and neighbors did not have a significant role in predicting the outcomes. Contrary to the study’s hypotheses, social engagement did not function as a mediator between optimism and well-being. These important findings highlight human resilience in international migration, and offer research, practice, and organizational policy implications for understanding and supporting internationally mobile individuals
Thesis (PhD) — Boston College, 2015
Submitted to: Boston College. Lynch School of Education
Discipline: Counseling, Developmental and Educational Psychology
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Smaoui, Chabchoub Aida. "Excès de confiance et optimisme des dirigeants : cas des firmes initiatrices d'une acquisition." Thesis, Montpellier 2, 2010. http://www.theses.fr/2010MON20205.
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L'introduction de la dimension comportementale dans l'explication des phénomènes de fusions-acquisitions a permis de remplacer les suppositions traditionnelles de rationalité des acteurs par des suppositions comportementales potentiellement plus réalistes. La finance d'entreprise comportementale permet de traiter le phénomène de fusion-acquisition dans un cadre élargi en intégrant dans l'analyse l'hypothèse de l' irrationalité des acteurs notamment les dirigeants des acquéreurs. Le présent travail porte sur l'étude de la relation qui existe entre les biais comportementaux des dirigeants des acquéreurs tels que le biais d'excès de confiance, et les opérations d'acquisitions. Nous développons, dans un premier temps, plusieurs mesures d'excès de confiance des dirigeants. Dans un second temps, les différentes mesures développées seront mobilisées pour étudier l'effet de l'excès de confiance sur les politiques d'acquisition. Sur un échantillon d'entreprises françaises engagées dans des opérations d'acquisition durant la période 1999-2007, nous montrons que les dirigeants surconfiants des acquéreurs ont tendance à réaliser plus d'acquisition et à les effectuer avec une prime d'offre plus élevée. Cependant, ces acquisitions ne sont pas rentables pour les actionnaires des acquéreurs étant donné que les rentabilités réalisées sont négatives autour de la date d'annonceThe introduction of the behavioral dimension in the explanation of the phenomena of mergers and acquisitions has allowed to replace the traditional assumptions of rationality of the participants by potentially more realistic behavioral assumptions. Behavioral corporate finance allows to treat the phenomenon of mergers and acquisitions in a framework widened, incorporating into the analysis the hypothesis of the irrationality of participants in particular the managers of bidders. The present work focuses on studying the relationship between the behavioural bias of managers of bidders such as overconfidence bias, and the operations of acquisition. Firstly, we develop several measures of CEO overconfidence. Secondly, these measures are used to study the effect of overconfidence on acquisitions policies. From a sample of French firms involved in operations of acquisitions during the period 1999-2007, we show that the overconfident CEO tend to make more acquisitions and to make them with a higher acquisition premium. However, these acquisitions are unprofitable for the shareholders of the bidders since the returns realized are negative around the date of announcement
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Coelho, Marta Parreira. "Unrealistic optimism, entrepreneurship and adverse selection." Thesis, London School of Economics and Political Science (University of London), 2004. http://ethos.bl.uk/OrderDetails.do?uin=uk.bl.ethos.409325.
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Hoover, Jon. "Ibn Taymiyya's theodicy of perpetual optimism /." Leiden : Brill, 2007. http://catalogue.bnf.fr/ark:/12148/cb41104973f.
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Scheinert, Tobias. "Managerial optimism and corporate financial policies." Doctoral thesis, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Wirtschaftswissenschaftliche Fakultät, 2014. http://dx.doi.org/10.18452/17068.
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Diese Dissertation besteht aus drei Essays, welche empirisch den Einfluss von Manager-Optimismus auf verschiedene unternehmenspolitische Entscheidungen untersuchen. Der Ausdruck Manager-Optimismus wird hierbei verwendet um Agenten (Manager) zu beschreiben, die im Interesse der Prinzipale (Aktionäre) zu handeln glauben, aber tatsächlich ins Positive verzerrte Vorstellungen über ihre eigenen Fähigkeiten und somit über die zukünftige Performance ihrer Firmen haben. Das erste Papier untersucht den Einfluss von Manager-Optimismus auf Ausstattungsmerkmale von Fremdkapitalverträgen. Konsistent mit nach oben verzerrten Erwartungen über die zukünftigen Cash Flows ihrer Firmen zeigt sich, dass Firmen mit übermäßig optimistischen Managern häufiger Performance abhängige Verträge nutzen und zugleich eine schlechtere Performance nach Aufnahme des Fremdkapitals aufweisen als solche mit rationalen Managern. Der zweite Artikel untersucht unternehmerisches Risikomanagement. Es stellt sich heraus, dass Firmen mit optimistischen Managern signifikant weniger wahrscheinlich Finanzderivate zur Absicherung ihrer Fremdwährungsrisiken nutzen als solche mit rationalen Managern. Dieses Verhalten ist mit einer Unterschätzung von Insolvenzkosten bzw. Kosten einer finanziellen Notlage konsistent. Der dritte Teil der Arbeit untersucht empirisch das Verhältnis zwischen Manager-Optimismus und der Nutzung von großen Abschreibungen im Rahmen von CEO-Wechseln. Nach dem Abgang von CEOs kann man häufig beobachten, dass deren Nachfolger ein so genanntes big bath accounting durchführen. Hierbei werden durch Abschreibungen Verluste dem Vorgänger zugeschrieben und Verdienste für zukünftige Performanceverbesserungen für sich beansprucht. In Übereinstimmung mit den verzerrten Erwartungen über zukünftige Cash Flows ihrer Firmen zeigt sich, dass Unternehmen, welche einen optimistischen Manager einstellen, weniger wahrscheinlich ein solches earnings bath durchführen, als Firmen, die rationale Manager einstellen.This thesis consists of three essays that empirically investigate to what extent managerial optimism affects corporate financial policy decisions. The term managerial optimism is used to describe agents (managers), who believe to act in the principals’ (shareholders’) best interest but in fact have upwardly biased views about their own abilities and consequently about the performance of their firms. The first paper investigates the impact of managerial optimism on debt contract design. Consistent with their upwardly biased view on their firm’s future cash flow, we find that firms with overly optimistic managers are more likely to choose performance sensitive debt (PSD) contracts and show worse post issue performance than firms with rational managers. The second paper analyzes corporate risk management. We find that firms with overly optimistic managers are significantly less likely to use financial derivatives to hedge their currency exposures than those with rational managers. This behavior is consistent with an underestimation of bankruptcy or financial distress costs by overly optimistic managers. The third paper empirically tests the relationship between managerial optimism and the use of large write-offs following CEO turnover. Subsequent to CEO turnover, it is often observed that incoming CEOs engage in this so called big bath accounting. Losses incurred during the big bath are attributed to the predecessors and the incoming CEOs take credit for future performance improvements. Consistent with their upwardly biased expectations concerning future firm cash flow, we find that firms hiring optimistic managers are less likely to experience an earnings bath in the year of the turnover than those hiring their rational counterparts.
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Richards, Andrew John. "Optimism and English school children : reliability, validity and use of the Children's Attributional Style Questionnaire (CASQ) and the Youth Life Orientation Test (YLOT)." Thesis, University of Exeter, 2012. http://hdl.handle.net/10036/3624.
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This study explores the use of two tests of optimism: the Youth Life Orientation Test (YLOT) and the Children’s Attributional Style Questionnaire (CASQ) in six English primary schools with children aged between 9 years and 12 years. The study grew out of some problems I was confronted with as part of my professional practice regarding the outcomes for children in a school that was failing to meet Government Targets in attainment. In the study I worked with the staff and 9 – 11 year old children in six primary schools in rural, town, suburban and inner-city contexts. The total number of children was 305. The children were tested using the CASQ and YLOT and a range of other measures. Cronbach alpha internal consistency coefficients (coefficient alpha) and test-retest coefficients for the subscales and overall scale of the CASQ and YLOT were calculated. The validity of each measure was explored using evidence from: test content; internal structure; relations to other variables; and from the consequences of testing. Lastly the use of the YLOT as a proxy and nature of any associations between the measures used was explored looking at individual; school and community level data. The study found that the YLOT has good psychometric properties and could be used as a basis for further work both professionally and for research. The Cronbach alpha reliability coefficient for the whole scale was 0.81. The psychometric properties of the CASQ were poor in that the subscales had very low reliability coefficients and the aggregated total scale reliability coefficient was still too low at 0.53 to be able to recommend the use of the CASQ. Before the CASQ could be used there would need to be extensive work to increase its reliability and validity through lengthening the test or changing the format of the questions to reduce their specificity. The use of the YLOT as a proxy indicator of mental health and associations with school and community level data were discussed. The YLOT could provide an indication of well being particularly in relation to childhood depression. The community level data were not sensitive enough to discern hypothesised associations between communities and the children attending the schools sited in the communities.
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Boland, Anne. "Optimism, coping, and adaptation in older women." Thesis, University of Ottawa (Canada), 1995. http://hdl.handle.net/10393/9827.
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This study looked at the relations among optimism, perception of stress, coping, and adaptation in women over the age of 60. It was hypothesized that optimism in older women would be associated with lower levels of perceived stress, a greater propensity to appraise stressors as challenges rather than as threats or losses, more adaptive coping strategies, fewer symptoms of distress, and higher levels of life satisfaction. The study used a prospective correlational design. One hundred and thirteen women took part in two interviews, separated by a minimum interval of three months. Although optimism was found to be correlated with most of the dependent variables (DVs), hierarchical regression analyses revealed that it lost its predictive power when the effects of the covariates, particularly Time 1 measures of the DVs and neuroticism, were statistically removed. The most important predictors of coping, distress, and life satisfaction were initial measures of these variables, followed by neuroticism. The discussion of the findings revolved around the importance of clarifying the construct of optimism. It was concluded that more research is needed to determine whether it is best conceptualized as bipolar or two-dimensional; in the latter case, optimism and pessimism would be related but separate constructs. Furthermore, the relationship of these constructs with neuroticism and extraversion needs to be further clarified. The results raise the question of whether the constructs of optimism and pessimism are subsumable under one or more of the "Big Five" personality factors (i.e., neuroticism, extraversion, openness, agreeableness, and conscientiousness).
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Rostedt, Maria. "En Studie i Optimism, Lycka och Livstillfredsställelse." Thesis, Högskolan för lärande och kommunikation, Högskolan i Jönköping, HLK, Ämnesforskning, 2011. http://urn.kb.se/resolve?urn=urn:nbn:se:hj:diva-15233.
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Syftet med denna studie var att inom den positiva psykologins ramar se hur optimism (LOT-r, Scheier, Carver, & Bridges, 1994) förhåller sig till lyckonivå (OHQ, Hills & Argyle 2002) och livstillfredsställelse (SWLS, Diener, Emmons, Larsen & Griffin, 1985) och om detta skiljer sig i kön, civilstånd och ålder. Studien undersökte också vad som gör individer lyckliga. Urvalet var av snöbollsmetoden och 106 respondenter deltog där 47 var män och 59 var kvinnor. Civilstånd delades upp i tre kategorier, gifta/sambo, särbo och ensamstående. Ålder delades upp i tre kategorier, 18-29, 30-49 och 50-74. Den statistiska analysen gjordes med icke-parametriska test. Resultatet visade att optimism korrelerade positivt med lyckonivå och livstillfredsställelse i alla kategorier förutom för särbo där det inte fanns någon korrelation mellan optimism och livstillfredsställelse. Det fanns en signifikant skillnad i ålderskategorin i avseende på livstillfredsställelse. Det som gjorde individer lyckliga var familj (51.5%), vänner/umgänge (36.4) och fritid (35.4%).The aim of this study was, on the basis of the positive psychology perspective, to investigate how optimism (LOT-r, Scheier, Carver, & Bridges, 1994) relates to happiness (OHQ, Hills & Argyle 2002) and life satisfaction (SWLS, Diener, Emmons, Larsen & Griffin, 1985) and the influence of gender, age and marital status. The study also examined what makes people happy. The selection was made by the snowball method and 106 respondents participated in which 47 were male and 59 were women. Marital status was divided into three categories, married / partner, live-apart and single. Age was divided into three categories, 18-29, 30-49 and 50-74. Statistical analyses were made with non-parametric tests. The results showed that optimism was correlated positively with happiness and life satisfaction in all categories except for the live-apart where there was no correlation between optimism and life satisfaction. There were significant differences in the age group in terms of life satisfaction. What made people happy were family (51.5%), friends / relations (36.4) and leisure (35.4%).
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Gustafsson, Edith. "Hur påverkar social intelligens och optimism arbetstillfredsställelse?" Thesis, Södertörns högskola, Institutionen för samhällsvetenskaper, 2020. http://urn.kb.se/resolve?urn=urn:nbn:se:sh:diva-44375.
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Social intelligens och optimism har visat sig ha goda effekter på många områden, däribland på upplevd arbetstillfredsställelse. Däremot verkar det inte finnas studier som undersökt hur både social intelligens och optimism påverkar arbetstillfredsställelse på svenska arbetsplatser. Föreliggande studie hade därför i syfte att undersöka hur social intelligens och optimism påverkar arbetstillfredsställelse, i en svensk kontext. En nätbaserad enkät distribuerades ut på sociala medier där yrkesverksamma personer över 18 år fick skatta sin upplevda optimism, sociala intelligens och arbetstillfredsställelse. Deltagarna i studien bestod av 132 individer i åldrarna 20 till 64 år. Resultatet visade att optimism hade ett signifikant samband med arbetstillfredsställelse, men social intelligens hade inte ett signifikant samband med arbetstillfredsställelse. Vidare visade resultatet att optimism var den starkaste prediktorn för arbetstillfredsställelse i studien och att variabeln kön även var en signifikant prediktor. Slutsatsen är att optimism och kön har betydelse för att individer ska uppleva högre arbetstillfredsställelse. Detta innebär att högre nivåer av optimism kan leda till högre arbetstillfredsställelse och att män upplever högre arbetstillfredsställelse än kvinnor. Faktorer som kan ha påverkat resultatet för studien diskuteras och vidare studier där variablerna undersöks tillsammans och där hänsyn tas till fler bakgrundsvariabler föreslås.
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Sedor, Lisa Marie. "Scenario thinking and optimism in analysts' forecasts /." Thesis, Connect to this title online; UW restricted, 2001. http://hdl.handle.net/1773/8740.
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Furst, Andrea Jean. "Dispositional Optimism, Sport Confidence, and Golf Performance." Thesis, Griffith University, 2010. http://hdl.handle.net/10072/367092.
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Optimism and self-confidence are two psychological constructs with an increasing presence in the peak performance literature. The current research consists of three interrelated studies investigating dispositional optimism, sport confidence, and golf performance with an applied sport psychology focus. Each of the studies builds upon the existing research in applied sport psychology and positive psychology. In addition, the results of the first two studies provide guidance for the subsequent studies in the current research.
Study 1 was a validation study addressing the overlap between psychological measures of the constructs of dispositional optimism and sport confidence. Construct validation analyses were performed using a multitrait-multimethod (MTMM) approach on the data from 160 athletes participating in a variety of sports and at a range of competition levels. Results indicated that there was significant overlap between scales on the psychological measures of Life Orientation Test-Revised (LOT-R; Scheier & Carver, 1985), Sport Confidence Inventory (SCI; Vealey & Knight, 2003), and Carolina Sport Confidence Inventory (CSCI: Manzo, Silva, & Mink, 2001). Exploratory factor analyses of the items on the three psychological measures were conducted and there was evidence of an overarching broad factor highlighting the difficulty to empirically separate the constructs of dispositional optimism and sport confidence. Given the sample size of this study relative to those of the test authors, further investigation into the inventories is required with a larger sporting sample to clarify their use within sport.
Study 2 was an investigative study addressing the paucity of research into the psychological characteristics of touring golf professionals to enhance the understanding of expertise in golf. Data were collected on a sample of 100 male touring golf professionals to obtain their levels of dispositional optimism and sport confidence and to explore the relationship between these two constructs and golf performance. Cognitive styles were investigated to see if there were trends in preferences of style in the touring golf professionals to guide the development of PST programs that address individual differences. No preference for a specific cognitive style was found for the touring golf professionals, but the participants recorded above average scores on dispositional optimism. Further, tour membership differentiated between players’ sport confidence levels on international tours and Australian tours; players on international tours scored higher on sport confidence than those on Australian tours. Each of these results implicated sport confidence and dispositional optimism as characteristics to include in PST programs (addressing each cognitive style) for elite golfers who have ambitions of becoming touring golf professionals. Optimism and confidence training was seen to be beneficial to improve the success rates of players embarking on a career as a touring golf professional. In addition, training of these characteristics was seen to be an avenue to ensure a successful future for Australian golfers on the international professional tours.
Study 3 was an intervention study addressing the need to test the effectiveness of a multimodal Psychological Skills Training (PST) program for elite golfers. A single-subject multiple-baseline across participants design was used to examine the effects of a Golf Optimism Training Program intervention on the dispositional optimism, sport confidence, and golf performance of 12 elite golfers; nine amateurs (handicaps < 6) and three trainee golf professionals. Dispositional optimism and sport confidence measures were completed by each participant for a minimum of 4 time points: preintervention (baseline), midterm, postintervention (final), and 2-month review. Golf performance data were collected throughout the study whenever the participants played a competitive round of golf. The intervention consisted of 10 weekly sessions on an individual basis. Visual inspection and Binomial significance testing of the individual data revealed two golfers had significantly better dispositional optimism scores after the final intervention session compared to those predicted from their baseline scores, and five golfers had significantly better average weekly round scores after the 2-month review compared to those predicted from their baseline scores. The group data revealed that there were improvements in levels of sport confidence, dispositional optimism, and sport competence. The results are discussed in terms of advancing multimodal PST programs and highlighting the usefulness of single-subject designs for maximising the effectiveness of individual PST programs.
Each of the studies builds on existing applied sport psychology research and advances knowledge for applied sport psychology research and practice. The three interrelated studies provided impetus for further research into four main areas. First, the clarification of whether psychological measures are actually measuring what they purport to measure is a fundamental issue in ensuring effective information is being disseminated to athletes. Second, the increase in the quantity of studies investigating moderate to large elite athletic samples is the key to greater knowledge and understanding of expertise and the unique requirements of specific sports. Third, the promotion of researchers and practitioners gaining sport-specific knowledge in addition to single-subject analysis allows richer information, which enhances working relationships with athletes in applied research and practice settings. Fourth, the enhancement of PST program protocols with efficacy testing is imperative to ensure optimal service delivery for elite athletes in the pursuit of peak performance. In conclusion, continued emphasis on applied research that is relevant to applied practice is required for positive growth of the applied sport psychology field, which ultimately is for the benefit of developing successful internationally competitive sportsmen and sportswomen.Thesis (PhD Doctorate)
Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)
School of Education and Professional Studies
Arts, Education and Law
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Judge, Stephanie T. "OPTIMISM AND PAIN INTERFERENCE IN AGING WOMEN." UKnowledge, 2017. https://uknowledge.uky.edu/psychology_etds/125.
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Pain interferes with people's daily lives and often limits the extent to which they can pursue goals and engages in activities that promote well-being. The present study test how optimism affects and is affected by pain interference and activity among older women. Every three months for two years, middle- and older-age women (N = 199) complete daily diaries at home for a seven-day period, reporting their daily pain, pain interference, and activity. Optimism was measured at baseline and end-of-study. Multilevel models test the between- and within-person relationships among pain, optimism, pain interference and activity. Pain best predicted pain interference and optimism best predicted activity. Accumulated activity and pain interference across the study predicted longitudinal changes in optimism over two years. Optimism may play a protective role in disruptions caused by pain, leading to decreased pain interference and increased activity. In turn, less interference and more activity feed forward into increased optimism, resulting in a cycle that enhances optimism and well-being among older women.
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Brown, Charis. "Do optimists have better lives? a quasi-experimental optimism, life satisfaction, and quality of life study /." [Gainesville, Fla.] : University of Florida, 2006. http://purl.fcla.edu/fcla/etd/UFE0014372.
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Tavares, Daniela Marques. "Adaptação ao Ensino Superior e otimismo em estudantes do 1º ano." Master's thesis, [s.n.], 2012. http://hdl.handle.net/10284/3617.
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Dissertação apresentada à Universidade Fernando Pessoa como parte dos requisitos para a obtenção do grau de Mestre em Psicologia, ramo de Psicologia Clínica e da SaúdeA adaptação ao Ensino Superior apresenta-se como uma temática cada vez mais explorada na investigação em Psicologia, sobretudo dada a importância que tem na vida dos jovens/adultos que ingressam na Universidade pela primeira vez. Grande parte dos novos estudantes encara esta fase como sendo caracterizada por variadas mudanças, com vários desafios que têm de enfrentar tanto a nível pessoal como académico. O facto de uma personalidade optimista estar associada a uma maior facilidade para lidar com o stress, remete para a importância do otimismo na adaptação ao Ensino Superior. Foi este o objetivo principal desta investigação; perceber o processo de adaptação ao Ensino Superior em estudantes do primeiro ano e de que forma se encontra relacionado com variáveis sociodemográficas e com o otimismo. A amostra deste estudo é constituída por 143 estudantes de uma Universidade Privada Portuguesa. Os alunos têm idades compreendidas entre os 18 e os 56 anos, com média de 20,8 anos (DP=5,8) e são maioritariamente do sexo feminino (80,4%). Os instrumentos utilizados nesta investigação foram: Questionário Sócio-demográfico; Questionário de Vivências Académicas (QVA-r) (Almeida et al., 1999) – para avaliar a adaptação ao Ensino Superior; e Escala de Orientação para a Vida (LOT-R) (Scheier, Carver & Bridges, 1994) – para avaliar o otimismo. Verificou-se que estes alunos apresentavam um valor médio de adaptação de 219,16, com a dimensão Carreira como a mais elevada. Quanto ao otimismo, o valor médio foi de 12,5. Não se verificaram diferenças estatisticamente significativas na adaptação entre estudantes deslocados ou não, nem relação entre adaptação e idade. No que se refere à adaptação académica em função do sexo, apenas existiam diferenças estatisticamente significativas na dimensão Estudo, favorecendo as raparigas. Houve uma associação negativa muito baixa entre a adaptação académica e a perceção que os alunos têm da sua saúde. Não houve relação estatisticamente significativa entre adaptação académica e otimismo, nem entre esta primeira e a frequência de atividades extracurriculares. Apesar das limitações do estudo, os resultados são favoráveis à adaptação ao Ensino Superior. Adapting to Higher Education presents itself as a theme increasingly exploited in research in psychology, especially given the importance it has in the lives of young people / adults who enter the University for the first time. Much of the new students sees this stage as being characterized by varied changes, many challenges they face both personal and academic. The fact that an optimistic personality is associated with a greater ability to cope with stress, refers to the importance of optimism in adapting to Higher Education. This was the focus of this investigation; understand the process of adapting to Higher Education students in the first year and how it is related to sociodemographic variables and with optimism. The sample consists of 143 students of a private university Portuguese. The students are aged between 18 and 56 years, with a mean of 20,8 years (SD = 5.8) and are mostly female (80.4%). The tools that have been used in this search were: Questionário Sócio-demográfico; Questionário de Vivências Académicas (QVA-r) (Almeida et al., 1999) – to assess the adaptation to higher education; and Escala de Orientação para a Vida (LOT-R) (Scheier, Carver & Bridges, 1994) – to assess the optimism. It was found that those students had an average value of adaptation 219.16, Carreira with the dimension as the highest. As for optimism, the average was 12,5. Concerning to the academic adaptation depending on the sex, there were only statistically significant differences in scale study, favouring girls. There was a very low negative association between adaptation academic and the perception that students have of their health. There was no statistically significant relationship between academic adaptation and optimism, nor between the first one and the frequency of extra-curricular activities. Despite the study's limitations, the results are favorable adaptation to Higher Education. L’adaptation à l’Enseignement Supérieur se présente comme une thématique de plus en plus exploitée dans l’investigation en Psychologie, surtout lorsqu’on considère l’importance que cela peut avoir pour les jeunes/adultes qui sont admis à l’université pour la première fois. Pour une grande partie des jeunes étudiants, cette étape est caractérisée par une série de changements, accompagnés de différents défis qu’ils doivent affronter tant au niveau personnel comme au niveau des études. Le fait d’une personnalité optimiste être associée à une grande facilité de vivre avec le stress nous révèle combien l’optimisme est important pour une bonne adaptation à l’Enseignement Supérieur. Celui-ci a été le principal objectif de cette investigation: comprendre la procédure de cette adaptation avec les jeunes qui sont en première année de faculté et de quelle manière cette procédure se trouve associée à des variables sociodémographiques et à l’optimisme. L’échantillon de cette étude est composé par 143 étudiants d’une Université Privée Portugaise. Les élèves sont âgés entre 18 et 56 ans, ce qui représente une moyenne de 20,8 élèves (DP=5,8) et ils sont en majeur partie du sexe féminin (80,4%). Les instruments utilisés dans cette investigation ont été: Questionário Sócio-demográfico; Questionário de Vivências Académicas (QVA-r) (Almeida et al., 1999) – pour évaluer l’adaptation à l’Enseignement Supérieur et la Escala de Orientação para a Vida (LOT-R) (Scheier, Carver & Bridges, 1994) – pour évaluer l’optimisme. On a vérifié que ces élèves ont démontré une valeur moyenne d’adaptation de 219,16, ayant la dimension Carrière comme la plus élevée. Quant à l’optimisme, la valeur moyenne a été de 12,5. Aucunes différences statistiquement significatives à l’adaptation entre étudiants déplacés ou pas ont été constatées, ni aucune relation entre adaptation et âge. En ce qui concerne l’adaptation académique associé au sexe de l’étudiant, on observe à peine quelques différences statistiquement significatives dans la dimension Etude, favorisant les filles. On constate qu’il y a eu une association négative très basse entre l’adaptation académique et la perception que les élèves ont de leur santé. Il n’y a pas de relation statistiquement significative entre l’adaptation académique et l’optimisme, ni entre la première et la fréquence aux activités extra scolaires. Malgré les limitations de cette étude, les résultats ont été favorables en ce qui concerne l’adaptation à l’Enseignement Supérieur.
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Faria, Sofia Barreiros Macedo de. "O optimismo na educação: Uma abordagem para o Ensino Superior: Um estudo nos cursos de Educação de infância e professores do ensino básico do 1º ciclo." Master's thesis, Instituto Superior de Psicologia Aplicada, 2004. http://hdl.handle.net/10400.12/499.
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Dissertação de Mestrado em Psicologia EducacionalEsta dissertação de mestrado aborda o tema da educação para o optimismo no Ensino Superior. A primeira parte deste trabalho consiste num enquadramento teórico do tema, que se inicia com uma breve perspectiva histórica sobre a Psicologia Positiva, seguindo-se uma abordagem aos conceitos de optimismo e pessimismo, fazendo-se ainda uma breve referência à origem do optimismo e do pessimismo e ao bem-estar subjectivo. Por fim faz-se a ligação destes conceitos à educação, principalmente no Ensino Superior, e termina-se com uma revisão sobre os instrumentos existentes para avaliar o optimismo e o pessimismo. A segunda parte deste trabalho é composta por dois estudos efectuados a alunos dos cursos de Educação de Infância e de Professores do Ensino Básico do 1o ciclo de uma Escola Superior de Educação. No primeiro estudo, que teve como objectivo principal verificar as diferenças e semelhanças apresentadas pelos alunos ao nível do grau de optimismo/pessimismo entre os 4 anos de cada um dos dois cursos, foi aplicada a escala ELOT - versão adaptada para a população portuguesa, em dois momentos distintos, no início e no final de cada ano, de cada curso. No segundo estudo, que teve como objectivo relacionar o factor pessoal de optimismo/pessimismo dos alunos com o contexto e compreender quais os factores que poderão promover o desenvolvimento do optimismo na formação dos jovens profissionais de educação, foram entrevistados os cinco alunos mais optimistas e os cinco alunos mais pessimistas de cada ano, de cada curso, em dois momentos distintos, no início e no final do ano lectivo, tendo sido efectuada uma análise de conteúdo destas entrevistas. Pode-se concluir que em relação ao primeiro estudo o padrão dos níveis de optimismo e pessimismo, embora se tenha mantido constante durante as duas aplicações, não foi igual nos dois cursos. O curso de Educação de Infância apresentou uma quebra em relação aos níveis de optimismo a partir do 2o ano, ao contrário do curso de Professores do Ensino Básico do 1o ciclo, que apresentou valores semelhantes entre os 4 anos do curso. Em relação ao segundo estudo concluiu-se que os alunos dos dois cursos valorizam e estão abertos às questões relacionais e afectivas na relação pedagógica, o que nos abre portas para repensarmos a formação inicial de forma a podermos caminhar para uma educação para o optimismo.
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Ellsworth, Allison. "Relationship Between Observed Parental Optimism and Adolescent Optimism with Parental Involvement as a Mediating Variable: Two Wave Panel Study." BYU ScholarsArchive, 2012. https://scholarsarchive.byu.edu/etd/3218.
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Using coded data from parent-child interaction tasks and questionnaires, this longitudinal study examined the relationship between observed mother and father optimism and self-reported and observed optimism of their adolescent child one year later with mother and father involvement as mediators. Results from structural equation modeling indicated that while there was not a direct association between maternal optimism and child optimism, that father involvement mediated that relationship, and that father involvement further mediated the relationship between father involvement and child optimism.
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Fowler, Stephanie Lane. "Interactive Optimism: A Mediator and Moderator Model for Understanding Coping." Toledo, Ohio : University of Toledo, 2010. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc%5Fnum=toledo1271350625.
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Thesis (M.A.)--University of Toledo, 2010.Typescript. "Submitted to the Graduate Faculty as partial fulfillment of the requirements for the Master of Arts in Psychology." "A thesis entitled"--at head of title. Title from title page of PDF document. Bibliography: p. 46-52.
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Reinhoudt, Cynthia J. "Factors related to aging well: the influence of optimism, hardiness and spiritual well being on the physical health functioning of older adults." The Ohio State University, 2004. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=osu1092771722.
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Bruininks, Patricia. "Defining and measuring hope /." view abstract or download file of text, 2002. http://wwwlib.umi.com/cr/uoregon/fullcit?p3055672.
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Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Oregon, 2002.Typescript. Includes vita and abstract. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 186-188). Also available for download via the World Wide Web; free to University of Oregon users.
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Minson, Madeleine Sophie. "'Superfluous cheerfulness' : an exploration of Henry Thoreau's optimism." Thesis, University College London (University of London), 1999. http://ethos.bl.uk/OrderDetails.do?uin=uk.bl.ethos.324978.
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Middleton, Wendy. "The nature of, and explanations for, unrealistic optimism." Thesis, University of Hertfordshire, 1997. http://ethos.bl.uk/OrderDetails.do?uin=uk.bl.ethos.361191.
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Miller, James M. "Managing HIV: Self-Efficacy, Mindfulness, Optimism, and Meaning." Thesis, University of North Texas, 2011. https://digital.library.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metadc84252/.
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The purpose of the current study is to investigate the extent to which mindfulness (observing and describing), dispositional optimism and personal meaning are associated with self-efficacy for managing a chronic disease (SEMCD) among 57 people living with HIV in the DFW Metroplex. Several statistical analyses, including a hierarchical linear regression analysis, were conducted. Results indicate, after controlling for age and gender, the overall model accounted for a significant proportion of the variance (adjusted R2 = .39) in self-efficacy for managing chronic disease, F (6, 50) = 5.80, p < .01. Both subscales of mindfulness were significantly related to self-efficacy. However, observing was negatively, associated with SEMCD (β = -0.44, p < .05), and describing was positively associated with self-efficacy (β = 0.60, p < .01). As a result, incorporating these mindfulness skills into self-efficacy based self-management programs may greatly improve self-management, thus positively influencing psychological and physiological health outcomes that are essential to the health and wellbeing of people living with HIV/AIDS. Future research should investigate methods of manipulating observing and describing, and determine what proficiency in these skills is most beneficial to improve self-efficacy.
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Passeira, Andrea Verónica Vaz. "Stress laboral na PSP." Master's thesis, Escola Superior de Ciências Empresariais, 2011. http://hdl.handle.net/10400.26/4007.
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Dissertação de Mestrado em Segurança e Higiene no TrabalhoO presente Estudo foi aplicado a profissionais da polícia do Comando Metropolitano de Lisboa da PSP. O objectivo principal subjacente a este trabalho foi proceder à análise da problemática do stress, nos profissionais da PSP que constituem a nossa amostra. Para tal, a metodologia utilizada consistiu na aplicação de um conjunto de Questionários, designadamente, “Fontes de Stress”, “Sintomas de Stress”, “Estratégias de Coping”, “Empenho Organizacional”, “Locus de Controlo”, “Optimismo”, e por último os dados Sócio-demográficos. O Questionário “Fontes de Stress”, comporta três dimensões de análise: “Falta de Recursos”, “Problemas Organizacionais e Interpessoais” e “Stressores Policiais”. O Questionário “Sintomas de Stress” é composto, igualmente, por três dimensões de análise: “Fadiga Física”, “Esgotamento Cognitivo” e “Exaustão Emocional”. O Questionário “Estratégias de Coping” inclui duas dimensões: “Evitamento” e “Coping Activo”. O Questionário “Locus de Controlo” envolve, igualmente, duas dimensões: “Locus de Controlo Externo” e “Locus de Controlo Interno”. Os restantes Questionários, são unidimensionais. Os resultados obtidos, permitiram verificar que a dimensão das “Fonte de Stress” mais pontuada pelos inquiridos, corresponde aos “Stressores Policiais” e, ao nível dos “Sintomas de Stress”, a dimensão com mais incidência é a “Fadiga Física”. No que concerne às “Estratégias de Coping” mais utilizadas pelos polícias, estas correspondem a Estratégias de “Coping Activo”. Os resultados também demonstraram que, em termos médios, os polícias apresentam um “Empenho Organizacional” moderado, onde a maioria manifesta a predominância de um tipo de “Locus de Controlo Interno” e que se consideram Optimistas. Este estudo comportou ainda a análise das correlações entre o conjunto das subescalas, bem como a análise da influência de variáveis sócio-demográficas sobre as restantes variáveis em análise.
This study was applied to professional police officers from Lisbon's Metropolitan Police (PSP). The main objective of this study was to examine the issue of stress on the PSP professionals that constitute our sample. To this end, the methodology consisted of a set of Questionnaires, namely "Sources of Stress", "Symptoms of Stress", "Coping Strategies”, “Organizational Commitment", "Locus of Control", "Optimism" and finally the socio-demographic data. The Questionnaire "Sources of Stress” comprises three dimensions of analysis: "Lack of Resources", "Interpersonal and Organizational Issues" and "Police Stressors”. The Questionnaire "Symptoms of Stress" is composed equally of three dimensions: "Physical Fatigue", "Cognitive Exhaustion" and "Emotional Exhaustion”. The Questionnaire "Coping Strategies" includes two dimensions: "Avoidance" and "Active Coping". The Questionnaire "Locus of Control" involves also two dimensions: "External Locus of Control" and "Internal Locus of Control”. The remaining questionnaires are unidimentional. The results reflected the view that the police respondents most punctuated dimension of “Source of Stress" is “Police Stressors", and at the level of “Symptoms of Stress”, the dimension with the highest incidence is “Physical Fatigue". With regard to "Coping Strategies" used by most police departments, these strategies correspond to "Active Coping". The results also showed that on average, the police have a moderate "Organizational Commitment", where the most expresses the predominance of one type of "Internal Locus of Control" and are considered Optimistic. This study also focuses the analysis of correlations between all the subscales, as well as analysis of the influence of socio-demographic variables on other variables in the analysis.
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Gomes, Ana Neto Branquinho Assis. "Effects of a psychological inoculation video on helplessness-hopelessness and implicit optimism levels in breast cancer patients." Master's thesis, ISPA - Instituto Universitário, 2013. http://hdl.handle.net/10400.12/2761.
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Dissertação de Mestrado em Psicobiologia apresentada ao ISPA - Instituto UniversitárioHelplessness-hopelessness (HH) and optimism are psychological variables which have been suggested as influential factors regarding survival rates and prognosis in cancer patients. Psychological inoculation (PI) is a cognitive method that uses the consecutive rejection of challenging sentences as a tool to destroy cognitive barriers. This study aimed to understand whether the exposure to a video simulating a PI session was able to increase implicit optimism levels and lower HH levels in breast cancer patients, when compared to the effects of a video simulating a supportive listening (SL) session. The sample for this study was composed of 83 Portuguese breast cancer patients. At baseline HH levels were assessed using the Portuguese version of the mini-Mental Adjustment to Cancer scale, whereas implicit optimism levels were assessed through word puzzle tasks. Participants were then randomly assigned to be exposed to either a video simulating a PI session or a video simulating a SL session. HH and implicit optimism levels were assessed again after the intervention. Results showed that the PI video had a significant effect in increasing implicit optimism levels in the intervention group, whereas the SL video significantly reduced HH levels in the control group. If replicated with direct interventions and longer follow-ups, this study could be a useful tool in finding an effective intervention to improve psychological conditions and perhaps prognosis in breast cancer patients.
RESUMO: Desânimo-fraqueza e optimismo são variáveis psicológicas que têm sido referidas como factores influentes nas taxas de sobrevivência e prognóstico de pacientes oncológicos. Inoculação psicológica é um método cognitivo que usa a rejeição consecutiva de frases desafiantes como ferramenta na destruição de barreiras cognitivas. Este estudo pretende compreender se a exposição a um vídeo que simula uma sessão de inoculação psicológica aumenta os níveis de optimismo implícito e diminui os níveis de desânimo-fraqueza em pacientes de cancro da mama, quando comparado com os efeitos de um vídeo que simula uma sessão de escuta compreensiva. A amostra para este estudo foi composta por 83 pacientes de cancro da mama portuguesas. Antes da intervenção os níveis de desânimo-fraqueza foram medidos através da Escala Reduzida de Ajustamento Mental ao Cancro, e os níveis de optimismo foram aferidos através de puzzles de palavras. Os participantes foram depois aleatoriamente expostos a um de dois vídeos, um simulando uma sessão de inoculação psicológica e outro simulando uma sessão de escuta compreensiva. Os níveis de desânimo-fraqueza e de optimismo implícito foram medidos novamente após a intervenção. Os resultados demonstram que o vídeo de inoculação psicológica teve um efeito significativo no aumento dos níveis de optimismo no grupo experimental, enquanto o vídeo de escuta compreensiva reduziu significativamente os níveis de desânimo-fraqueza no grupo de controlo. Se replicado utilizando intervenções directas e tempos de acompanhamento mais prolongados, este estudo poderá ser uma ferramenta útil no encontro de uma intervenção eficaz na melhoria das condições psicológicas e até de prognóstico de pacientes de cancro da mama.
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Damar, Heleni, and Viktoria Olsson. "Smärta, kön och optimism : Förklarande faktorer för smärtupplevelse och smärttolerans." Thesis, Örebro universitet, Institutionen för juridik, psykologi och socialt arbete, 2017. http://urn.kb.se/resolve?urn=urn:nbn:se:oru:diva-54832.
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Research has shown that both optimism and gender affects how we deal with different types of pain, however, it is still unclear which factor has the greatest impact on pain perception and pain tolerance. This study examined which variable, optimism or gender, had the greatest impact on pain. This study used both a convenience and snowball sampling consisting of a total of 45 students, 21 women and 24 men aged 19-39 years old. Optimism was measured by Life Orientation Test Revised and to measure pain perception, a cold pressor task was used. The results showed no significant differences between men and women in pain perception or pain tolerance. The results did not show any difference between optimists and pessimists regarding pain perception and pain tolerance either. These findings contradicted previous research and therefore the measurement instrument reliability in this study was questioned.
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Sartin, Marcus Clifton. "Exploratory Factor Analysis: The Significance of Trust in a Revised Principal Academic Optimism Scale." Diss., Virginia Tech, 2016. http://hdl.handle.net/10919/78905.
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Principal Academic Optimism is an hypothesized latent construct that has strong theoretical foundations in both educational research and educational psychology. Academic Optimism derives from research on school academic optimism and teacher academic optimism, which originated via Hoys, Tarters, and Woolfolk Hoys (2006a; 2006b) merger of school climate research with research on learned optimism, stemming from Martin Seligmans (1998, 2006) research on positive psychology.
Principal Academic Optimism expands upon discoveries of School Academic Optimism and Teacher Academic Optimism. The theoretical framework of Principal Academic Optimism is built upon a strong research foundation of the organizational health model, social capital theory, social cognitive theory and positive psychology. The purpose of this research is to revise Riegel's (2012) Principal Academic Optimism Scale, thereby creating and testing a comprehensive measure of Principal Academic Optimism. The questionnaire used to accomplish this goal was a revised version of Riegel's Principal Academic Optimism Scale and Tschannen-Moran's and Gareis's (2004) Principal Trust Scale. By incorporating a measure for principal trust in faculty with a measure of principal trust in clients (parents and students), a more comprehensive measure of Principal Academic Optimism was validated and found reliable (α = 0.908).
Perhaps the most compelling finding of the study was the significant negative relationship between principals' perception of trust in clients whose schools have high percentages of students receiving free and reduced price lunches (r = -0.444; p < 0.05). Principals with high percentages of free and reduced price lunch rates explained 72.203% of the variance in principals' self-reported perception of trust in clients. Principals of schools with 61%-80% or 81%+ percentages of free and reduced price lunch rates reported lower levels of trust in clients (parents and students).Ed. D.
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Al, Nima Ali. "RELATIONEN MELLAN SUBJEKTIVT VÄLBEFINNANDE, COPINGSTRATEGIER OCH OPTIMISM BLAND HÖGSKOLESTUDENTER." Thesis, Högskolan i Halmstad, Sektionen för hälsa och samhälle (HOS), 2010. http://urn.kb.se/resolve?urn=urn:nbn:se:hh:diva-6049.
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Syftet med föreliggande studie var att undersöka relationer mellan subjektivt välbefinnande, optimism och copingstrategier. Ett ytterligare syfte var att undersöka eventuella skillnader mellan män och kvinnor angående dels vilka copingstrategier som används, dels skillnader i sambandet mellan copingstrategier, optimism och subjektivt välbefinnande. Studien var baserad på ett stickprov med 106 studenter på grundnivå i olika ämne vid en högskola. Kortversioner av frågeformulären som mäter copingstrategier, optimism och subjektivt välbefinnande delades ut och besvarades enskilt. En multipel korrelationsanalys visade på en modell i vilken coping och optimism förklarade 20% av variansen i subjektivt välbefinnande. Vidare visade resultatet att det inte finns skillnader mellan män och kvinnor när det gäller subjektivt välbefinnande och optimism. Däremot fanns det könsskillnader angående emotionellt stöd, instrumentellt stöd, ventilering av känslor och humor. Copingstrategier medierade inte effekterna av optimism på subjektivt välbefinnande. Subjektivt välbefinnande påverkas till stor del av individens syn på framtiden och livet.
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McAuliffe, Christine. "Optimism and loss the experiences of children in foster care /." Connect to this title online, 2007. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc%5Fnum=bgsu1166033063.
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Davis, Mary. "THE RELATION BETWEEN OPTIMISM AND JOB PERFORMANCE: AN APPLIED SETTING." Master's thesis, University of Central Florida, 2006. http://digital.library.ucf.edu/cdm/ref/collection/ETD/id/3819.
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Research on cognitive ability measures consistently concludes that they are predictive of employee performance. While accounting for only about 9% of the variance in performance, however, cognitive ability measures are not sufficient. Alternative measures, such as measures of personality constructs, must be included to fully predict employee performance. The research on personality measures suggests that they are marginally predictive of employee performance. Research also suggests that predicative accuracy of personality measures can be enhanced when the measure is specific to the situation (i.e., stress measure are more predictive of performance in high stress situations compared to moderate or low stress situations). The current study compares a specific measure of a personality construct, the Seligman Attributional Style Questionnaire (a measure of optimism), with a broad, general measure of personality, the Gordon Personal Profile-Inventory, comparing jobs specifically requiring higher levels of optimism versus jobs that do not require high levels of optimism. The results suggest that the use of the SASQ under situationally specific conditions does not result in greater predictive accuracy that the more generic GPPI. In addition, neither measure resulted in significant correlations with employee performance. The study generally confirmed the literature on the limited utility of personality measures in predicting performance. It also raised questions about how situational specificity is operationized.M.S.
Department of Psychology
Sciences
Psychology
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Bryant, Danielle Louise. "Developing optimism : a cognitive-behavioural intervention to reduce stress." Thesis, University of Edinburgh, 2011. http://hdl.handle.net/1842/7904.
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Optimistic explanatory style refers to the way in which individual’s routinely attribute cause to the events in their lives (Ambramson et al., 1978) and can be successfully enhanced through the use of cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) group-based workshops (Buchanan et al., 1999; Seligman et al., 2007). It has been successfully measured via the self-report Attributional Style Questionnaire (ASQ: Peterson et al., 1982) and has been associated with better performance and lower levels of state anxiety following negative feedback (Martin-Krumm et al., 2003), a lower incidence of stress-related physical illness (Jackson et al., 2002; Buchanan et al., 1999), and lower levels of job-related emotional distress (Hershberger et al., 2000). In 2005, teaching was identified as the second most stressful job undertaken within the UK (Johnson et al., 2005) and two independent reviews of the teacher-stress literature both concluded that further research is required to develop effective stress-management interventions (Kyriacou, 2000; Jarvis, 2002). Furthermore, Jarvis (2002) specifically highlights CBT-based interventions as an avenue which requires research within the teacher-stress domain. In 2005, Bryant (unpublished MSc thesis) highlighted a link between optimistic explanatory style and lower levels of stress in student Physical Education (PE) teachers who were undergoing the practicum element of their one-year postgraduate diploma of education. The current thesis explored the effectiveness of a CBT-based optimism training programme in developing optimism and reducing stress in student and neophyte PE teachers. A longitudinal, repeated-measures, mixed methods design was employed in a naturalistic setting. Using a pre-test, intervention, post-test design, the effects of CBT-based training were shown to enhance optimism and positive affectivity, and reduce cognitive stress in student teachers during the practicum element of their professional training. To strengthen causal links, a dose-response design was used to provide enhanced training to a sub-group of student teachers. Although differences in optimism and perceived cognitive stress were present in the results, they were not significant. Finally, a qualitative interview based follow-up study identified that participants who had received the prolonged CBT-based optimism training exhibited higher levels of optimistic explanatory style, lower levels of stress and more dispositional optimism than participants who received either the initial or no optimism training. Theoretical and practical implications of the current findings and directions for future research are discussed.
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Keivom-Lockhart, Jaiselmer. "The Relationship between Situational Optimism/Pessimism and Donating Intentions." Thesis, University of Canterbury. Psychology, 2013. http://hdl.handle.net/10092/7643.
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Charities provide many vital services for New Zealand society; however, charities are in constant need of donations from the public in order to provide these services. The aim of this study was to examine the relationship between situational optimism/pessimism and donating intentions. Two hundred and fifty three people from the University of Canterbury in Christchurch, New Zealand took part in experiment. Participants were randomly assigned to one of five conditions in which they viewed an optimistic, pessimistic or neutral (control) image and were asked to rate their intention to donate to a disaster relief charity. When covariates were controlled for, the results revealed that people who saw the pessimistic image were more likely to intend to donate than participants who looked at optimistic image. Implications and suggestions for future research are discussed.
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Karlsson, Magdalena, and Jessica Segerbrant. "Orealistisk optimism och upplevd kontroll : Studenters bedömningar av risker." Thesis, Mälardalen University, School of Sustainable Development of Society and Technology, 2010. http://urn.kb.se/resolve?urn=urn:nbn:se:mdh:diva-8321.
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Tidigare forskning har visat att människor överskattar chanserna för att positiva händelser ska inträffa dem och underskattar riskerna för att negativa händelser ska inträffa dem jämfört med genomsnittet. Detta kallas orealistisk optimism (OO). En faktor som påverkar detta är grad av upplevd kontroll. Studiens huvudsakliga syfte var att undersöka sambanden mellan upplevd kontroll och OO. I en enkätstudie undersöktes OO och upplevd kontroll för diverse händelser. Deltagarna fick t ex svara på hur sannolikt det är att de utsattes för vissa händelser jämfört med genomsnittet. Händelserna var bl a hälsorelaterade. Deltagarna var studenter från en högskola i Mellansverige, 18 män och 109 kvinnor. OO uppstod för alla händelser utom två. Det fanns vissa samband mellan OO och upplevd kontroll. Nytt med studien är att vissa händelser som i tidigare undersökningar skattats som okontrollerbara i själva verket kan upplevas som delvis kontrollerbara. Sambanden mellan OO och upplevd kontroll bör vidare undersökas.
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Russell, Paul. "Carer responses to challenging behaviour : the role of optimism." Thesis, Lancaster University, 2004. http://ethos.bl.uk/OrderDetails.do?uin=uk.bl.ethos.423986.
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Balasuriya, Jiayi Wang. "An empirical analysis of financial optimism and portfolio choice." Thesis, City University London, 2012. http://openaccess.city.ac.uk/11870/.
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The purpose of this thesis is to conduct a detailed study of optimism in financial decision making. I contribute to the literature by clarifying the relationship between financial optimism and individual investors’ portfolio choice. I also investigate whether optimism benefits an investor’s objective and subjective well-being within the same study by using large-scale survey data. I then explore how feedback, framing, and personality, contribute to financial optimism using controlled user experiments. Both survey-based and experimental approaches are applied in this thesis to study various aspects of optimism in a financial decision making domain. In this thesis I propose a theoretical framing work for measuring financial optimism and use these measures to analyse investor profiles. My survey-based studies show that optimistic investors prefer to invest in risky portfolios to risk-free portfolios, and borrow higher debt and larger mortgages. Optimists are significantly younger with lower accumulated financial wealth compared to non-optimists. Financial optimism is found to be beneficial in improving objective well-being by increasing future financial wealth, but this positive effect is very limited in terms of increasing future total wealth. Optimism is associated with current happiness and satisfaction which means optimism might help to improve current subjective well-being, but the long-term effect of optimism on happiness might be less desirable if the investor’s realised financial situation is lower than expected. By conducting experiments on subjects given investment tasks in a controlled environment, I find that positive feedback on previous portfolio returns decreases optimism when forecasts on future portfolio returns are made in absolute values, while positive feedback increases optimism when participants forecast in relative terms. I also show that framing influences financial optimism - optimism is higher when forecasting in absolute values than in percentages. I discovered that certain personality traits, such as extraversion and modesty, correlate with financial optimism. Optimism is also strongly positively associated with an attitude for risk tolerance. The overall implications of this thesis is that when making a financial decision, individual investors should not neglect the effect of optimism on their choice of portfolio. Optimism is beneficial towards both objective and subjective well-being, however such positive influence of optimism is fairly limited and should not be magnified. Optimism might not be subject to the control of an individual because optimism could derive from environmental factors, such as feedback and framing, as well as from internal factors to the investor, such as personality and innate risk attitude.
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Richardson, Matthew. "Investigation of over-fitting and optimism in prognostic models." Thesis, University of Birmingham, 2010. http://etheses.bham.ac.uk//id/eprint/754/.
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This work seeks to develop a high quality prognostic model for the CARE-HF data; see (Richardson et al. 2007). The CARE-HF trial was a major study into the effects of cardiac resynchronization. Cardiac resynchronization has been shown to reduce mortality in patients suffering heart failure due to electrical problems in the heart. The prognostic model presented in this work was motivated by the question as to which patient characteristics may modify the effect of cardiac resynchronization. This is a question of great importance to clinicians. Efforts are made to produce a high quality prognostic model in part through the application of methods to reduce the risk of over-fitting. One method discussed in this work is the strategy proposed by Frank Harrell Jr. The various aspects of Harrell’s approach are discussed. An attempt is made to extend Harrell’s strategy to frailty models. Key issues such as missing data and imputation, specification of the functional form of the model, and validation are examined in relation to the prognostic model for the CARE-HF data. Material is presented covering survival analysis, maximum likelihood methods, model selection criteria (AIC, BIC), specification of functional form (cubic splines and fractional polynomials) and validation methods (cross-validation, bootstrap methods). The concepts of over-fitting and optimism are examined. The author concludes that whilst Harrell’s strategy is valuable it is still quite possible to produce models that are over-fitted. MDL (Minimum Description Length) is suggested as potentially useful methods by which statistical models can be obtained that have an in built resistance to over-fitting. The author also recommends that concepts such as over-fitting, optimism and model validation are introduced earlier in more elementary courses on statistical modelling.
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Klarén, Anton. "Dispositional optimism and attentional bias to happy facial expressions." Thesis, Högskolan i Skövde, Institutionen för biovetenskap, 2018. http://urn.kb.se/resolve?urn=urn:nbn:se:his:diva-15528.
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Research suggests that the human attentional system is biased towards emotional events in the environment. This attentional bias is believed to be an adaptive function that can provide survival benefits for the organisms that possess it. Dispositional optimism is a trait defined as a general expectation that good things will happen in the future. This trait has received interest as an adaptive trait that has a multitude of psychological and physical benefits for the individuals who exhibit it. The aim of this study is to examine whether there is a difference in the attentional bias towards happy and angry facial expressions based on level of dispositional optimism using the dot-probe paradigm. Thirty-two psychologically and neurologically healthy females (mean age = 26.5, SD = 5.8) participated in the study. They completed a questionnaire measuring dispositional optimism and performed the dot-probe task in a laboratory setting in the University of Skövde. In the dot- probe task a short exposure (100 ms) of photographs depicting happy, angry and neutral facial expressions was used as emotional cues. A general bias towards happy faces across all participants was detected. Also, a clear trend towards an interaction between DO and AB to emotional faces was found in the group high in DO displaying and AB towards happy facial expressions. This study implies that for the psychologically and neurologically healthy population, a fast operating and automatic AB for positive stimuli exists, moreover, this AB may be modulated by individual differences in DO.