Optimism Development Across Adulthood and Associations With Positive and Negative Life Events

2019 ◽  
Vol 10 (8) ◽  
pp. 1092-1101 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ted Schwaba ◽  
Richard W. Robins ◽  
Priyanka H. Sanghavi ◽  
Wiebke Bleidorn
Keyword(s):  
Life Events ◽  
Life Experiences ◽  
Negative Life Events ◽  
Latent Growth Curve ◽  
Mexican Origin ◽  
Physical And Mental Health ◽  
Latent Growth ◽  
Positive Events ◽  
Men And Women

Numerous studies have demonstrated long-term benefits of optimism for physical and mental health. However, little research has examined how optimism develops across the life span and how it is shaped by positive and negative life experiences. In this study, we examined the normative trajectory of optimism development from ages 26 to 71 in a longitudinal sample ( N = 1,169) of Mexican-origin couples assessed 4 times across 7 years. Latent growth curve analyses indicated that optimism increased throughout early and middle adulthood before plateauing at age 55, with significant individual differences in change. Furthermore, the experience of positive events was associated with optimism development across adulthood, but negative life events were not associated with development. Men and women developed similarly in optimism, while U.S.-born participants developed differently from Mexican-born participants. We discuss how these findings inform our understanding of optimism as a dynamic, adaptive construct.

Optimism Development Across Adulthood and Associations with Positive and Negative Life Events

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ted Schwaba ◽  
Richard Robins ◽  
Priyanka H. Sanghavi ◽  
Wiebke Bleidorn
Keyword(s):  
Life Events ◽  
Life Experiences ◽  
Negative Life Events ◽  
Latent Growth Curve ◽  
Mexican Origin ◽  
Physical And Mental Health ◽  
Latent Growth ◽  
Positive Events ◽  
Men And Women

Numerous studies have demonstrated long-term benefits of optimism for physical and mental health. However, little research has examined how optimism develops across the lifespan and how it is shaped by positive and negative life experiences. In this study, we examined the normative trajectory of optimism development from ages 26 to 71 in a longitudinal sample (N=1,169) of Mexican-origin couples assessed four times across 7 years. Latent growth curve analyses indicated that optimism increased throughout early and middle adulthood before plateauing at age 55, with significant individual differences in change. Furthermore, the experience of positive events was associated with optimism development across adulthood, but negative life events were not associated with development. Men and women developed similarly in optimism, while US-born participants developed differently from Mexican-born participants. We discuss how these findings inform our understanding of optimism as a dynamic, adaptive construct.

Investigating Affective Responding to Daily Positive Events Among Adolescents Using Ecological Momentary Assessment

2021 ◽  
pp. 027243162110580
Author(s):  
Sarah K. Chun ◽  
Katherine S. Benjamin ◽  
Amy H. Mezulis
Keyword(s):  
Positive Affect ◽  
Life Events ◽  
Ecological Momentary Assessment ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Positive And Negative Affect ◽  
Physical And Mental Health ◽  
Positive Events ◽  
Independent Events ◽  
Ecological Momentary ◽  
Momentary Assessment

The experience of positive events is associated with increased positive affect, which can beneficially impact the physical and mental health outcomes of adolescents. Despite an increase in important life events during adolescence, little research has examined the influence of positive events on affect in this population. This study used Ecological Momentary Assessment to investigate individual differences in the effects of daily positive events on momentary positive and negative affect and event-specific positive affect among 136 adolescents ( M age = 13.03 years). Results indicated that interpersonal and independent events elicited greater event-specific positive affect than non-interpersonal and dependent events. Dependent interpersonal events were associated with the greatest positive affect compared to other combinations of event types. Gender did not moderate these effects. These findings may address the gap in the literature regarding the types of daily positive events that elicit the most positive affect in adolescents, and in turn, may enhance well-being.

scholarly journals Good is stronger than bad for eudaimonic well-being

2022 ◽  
Vol 40 (1) ◽  
pp. 455-490
Author(s):  
Gonzalo Martínez-Zelaya ◽  
Marian Bilbao Ramírez ◽  
Darío Páez Rovira
Keyword(s):  
Life Events ◽  
Representative Sample ◽  
Negative Life Events ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Negative Events ◽  
Positive Events ◽  
Post Traumatic Growth ◽  
Post Traumatic ◽  
Basic Beliefs

Perceived changes in basic beliefs and growth related to life events were examined in three studies. A representative sample (N = 885), a sample of students and their families (N = 291) and a sample of students (N = 245) responded with a list of positive and negative life events, a scale of changes in basic beliefs and a post-traumatic growth scale. Positive events were strongly associated with changes in basic beliefs, while only weak associations were found for negative events. In addition, negative changes in basic beliefs were associated with growth only in negative life events and positive changes in basic beliefs were generally associated with growth.

scholarly journals Emotional Responses to Stressors in Everyday Life Predict Long-Term Trajectories of Depressive Symptoms

2019 ◽  
Vol 54 (6) ◽  
pp. 402-412 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ruixue Zhaoyang ◽  
Stacey B Scott ◽  
Joshua M Smyth ◽  
Jee-Eun Kang ◽  
Martin J Sliwinski
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Depressive Symptoms ◽  
Everyday Life ◽  
Emotional Responses ◽  
Physical And Mental Health ◽  
Latent Growth ◽  
Assessment Approach ◽  
Ecological Momentary

Abstract Background Individuals’ emotional responses to stressors in everyday life are associated with long-term physical and mental health. Among many possible risk factors, the stressor-related emotional responses may play an important role in future development of depressive symptoms. Purpose The current study examined how individuals’ positive and negative emotional responses to everyday stressors predicted their subsequent changes in depressive symptoms over 18 months. Methods Using an ecological momentary assessment approach, participants (n = 176) reported stressor exposure, positive affect (PA), and negative affect (NA) five times a day for 1 week (n = 5,483 observations) and provided longitudinal reports of depressive symptoms over the subsequent 18 months. A multivariate multilevel latent growth curve model was used to directly link the fluctuations in emotions in response to momentary stressors in everyday life with the long-term trajectory of depressive symptoms. Results Adults who demonstrated a greater difference in stressor-related PA (i.e., relatively lower PA on stressor vs. nonstressor moments) reported larger increases in depressive symptoms over 18 months. Those with greater NA responses to everyday stressors (i.e., relatively higher NA on stressor vs. nonstressor moments), however, did not exhibit differential long-term changes in depressive symptoms. Conclusions Adults showed a pattern consistent with both PA and NA responses to stressors in everyday life, but only the stressor-related changes in PA (but not in NA) predicted the growth of depressive symptoms over time. These findings highlight the important—but often overlooked—role of positive emotional responses to everyday stressors in long-term mental health.

scholarly journals CHILDHOOD MISFORTUNE PREDICTS LIFESPAN HEALTH INTO LATE ADULTHOOD

2019 ◽  
Vol 3 (Supplement_1) ◽  
pp. S351-S351
Author(s):  
Nicholas A Turiano ◽  
Nicholas A Turiano ◽  
Kate A Leger ◽  
Patrick L Hill
Keyword(s):  
Sex Education ◽  
Early Life ◽  
Life Experiences ◽  
Latent Growth Curve ◽  
Financial Strain ◽  
Adult Health ◽  
Latent Growth ◽  
Growth Curve Models ◽  
Latent Growth Curve Models ◽  
Midlife Development

Abstract Childhood misfortune encompasses a diverse set of negative early life experiences that have damaging effects on lifespan development. We extended this topic by examining how early life misfortunes predicted changes in measures of physical functioning (FUNC) and body mass index (BMI) in adulthood (ages 25-75). We used 3-wave data (N = 6,000) from the Midlife Development in the U.S. study across 20 years. Unconditional latent growth curve models (adjusting for age, sex, education) suggested significant (p < .05) mean-level change and variability in change for FUNC (Int = 1.47; Slope = 0.24) and BMI (Int = 26.71; Slope = 0.90). Higher levels of childhood misfortune (e.g., abuse, financial strain) significantly predicted worse FUNC (Int = 0.05; Slope = 0.02) and higher BMIs (Int = 0.24; Slope = 0.07) at baseline and steeper increases over time. Findings underscore the need to address adult health problems that emerge much earlier in life.

The Effects of Negative Life Events on Alcohol Consumption among older Men and Women

1995 ◽  
Vol 50B (4) ◽  
pp. S205-S216 ◽  
Author(s):  
T. A. Glass ◽  
H. Prigerson ◽  
S. V. Kasl ◽  
C. F. M. de Leon
Keyword(s):  
Alcohol Consumption ◽  
Life Events ◽  
Negative Life Events ◽  
Older Men ◽  
Men And Women ◽  
Older Men And Women

scholarly journals Negative Life Events and Avoidant Coping are Associated with Poorer Long-Term Outcome in Older Adults Treated for Generalized Anxiety Disorder

2010 ◽  
Vol 1 (1) ◽  
pp. jep.003110 ◽  
Author(s):  
Catherine R. Ayers ◽  
Andrew Petkus ◽  
Lin Liu ◽  
Thomas L. Patterson ◽  
Julie Loebach Wetherell
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
Anxiety Disorder ◽  
Life Events ◽  
Generalized Anxiety Disorder ◽  
Negative Life Events ◽  
Avoidant Coping ◽  
Generalized Anxiety ◽  
Term Outcome ◽  
Long Term Outcome

The objective of this investigation was to explore predictors of long-term outcome following treatment of generalized anxiety disorder (GAD) in older adults. A small sample of older adults (N = 27) were randomized into a modular cognitive behavioral therapy protocol or enhanced community treatment for 12 weeks and followed for one year. Results from random effects regression models indicated that baseline levels of anxiety symptoms, avoidant coping, and negative life events are significantly associated with anxiety across follow-up. These preliminary data suggest that negative life events and avoidant coping may merit further investigation as predictors of long-term treatment outcome in geriatric GAD.

Mother–child relationships, family context, and child characteristics as predictors of anxiety symptoms in middle childhood

2011 ◽  
Vol 23 (2) ◽  
pp. 593-604 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kathryn A. Kerns ◽  
Shannon Siener ◽  
Laura E. Brumariu
Keyword(s):  
Life Events ◽  
Middle Childhood ◽  
Negative Life Events ◽  
Anxiety Symptoms ◽  
Family Context ◽  
Latent Growth ◽  
Child Characteristics ◽  
Early Child Care ◽  
Mother Child Relationships ◽  
Using Data

AbstractThe goal of the study was to examine several factors that may explain the development of anxiety symptoms in middle childhood. Using data from the NICHD Study of Early Child Care (n = 1,364 families), we examined mother–child relationships, other aspects of family context, and child characteristics as predictors of anxiety in preadolescence. Latent growth curve analyses revealed that children who were more anxious at the beginning of middle childhood had been more behaviorally inhibited as preschoolers, and in middle childhood lived in families who experienced more negative life events and had mothers who were more anxious. Children who became more anxious across middle childhood were less behaviorally inhibited as preschoolers and in middle childhood perceived less security in their attachments to their mothers, experienced more negative life events, and had mothers who were more anxious. The findings illustrate the need to include a broad set of risk factors in etiological models of anxiety. In addition, the evidence for cumulative effects suggests several possible points of intervention with anxious children and their parents.

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