Hope and Optimism: Similar but Different in Their Association With Psychological Health
Abstract
The present study investigated the unique contributions of hope and optimism in the prediction of psychological health in order to explore previously reported findings and models of hope and optimism. Two hundred and thirty-eight respondents completed an online survey consisting of questionnaires on hope, optimism, positive and negative affect, psychological well-being, and life meaning. Findings indicated that hope and optimism, while overlapping constructs, operate as unique contributors in their association with psychological health. In particular, hope and optimism appear to function interdependently in relation to an individual’s psychological well-being and sense of life meaning. Moderation analyses revealed that either hope or optimism may matter more in its influence on life meaning when the other is low and that hope specifically may buffer the detrimental effects of negative affect on life meaning. Hope and optimism were also found to mediate the relationship between affect and psychological well-being, supporting previous research findings that suggest that both hope and optimism are important explanatory mechanisms of positive therapeutic outcomes. Overall, findings suggest that optimal life functioning may be a reflection of the effects of both hope and optimism. Implications of practice are discussed.
