Benefits of an Optimistic Explanatory Style
The evidence suggests that an optimistic explanatory style is more beneficial, as it is associated with:
- Higher levels of subjective wellbeing even in the face of stressful life events.
- Better physical health.
- Greater chances of success in stressful jobs, particularly those that include failure, as this encourages the individual to develop their self-confidence.
- More likely to be extroverted and have strong self-esteem.
Some Contradictory Research
Despite the research suggesting that optimism has a greater effect on wellbeing one study found that better performance in a stressful task wasn’t linked specifically to the use of an optimistic explanatory style. They found that the factor that impacted performance and anxiety levels the most was whether the individual was allowed to use their preferred explanatory style, either optimistic or pessimistic, rather than which style they used.
Although the evidence would suggest that optimism is a positive thing, and something we could all gain benefit from it, the emphasis is not on people being optimistic all of the time or necessarily stating that it is always better.
You might want to make notes at this point. These may help you remember things, work out what you want or see how much you’ve changed if you read them again in a few years’ time.