Stress
and Optimism: Relationships to Coping and Well-Being
S.-A. Khoo & G.D. Bishop |
Previous
research has shown that optimism is a prospective predictor of successful
adaptation to stressful encounters. In a sample of 126 Singaporeans
this study investigated the effects of optimism in relation to their
implications for the manner in which people deal with the stresses
of life. The results, using structural equation modelling, generally
provided support for the beneficial effects of an optimistic outlook
on life. Specifically, optimism was found to predict positive well-being
directly, as well as indirectly through its effects on stress. The
results of this study also provided evidence for the differential
use of specific coping tactics by optimists. However, the use of
such coping tactics did not mediate the relationship between optimism
and well-being. In brief, these findings suggest that optimism predicts
positive well-being directly, and at the same time reduces the experience
of stress.
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