Centre for Policy on Ageing



Optimism, pessimism, and positive and negative affectivity in middle-aged adults — a test of a cognitive-affective model of psychological adjustment
Author(s)	Edward C Chang, Lawrence J Sanna
Journal title	Psychology and Aging, vol 16, no 3, September 2001
Pages	pp 524-531
Keywords	Middle aged ; Personality ; Adjustment ; Life satisfaction ; Depression ; Evaluation ; United States of America.
Annotation	Limitations are considered in our understanding of middle-age people's optimism and pessimism. Specifically, a model of affectivity as a mediator of the link between outcome expectancies and psychological adjustment (life satisfaction and depressive symptoms) was presented and examined in a sample of 237 middle-aged Americans. Consistent with a mediation model, results of path analyses indicated that optimism and pessimism (particularly the former) had significant direct and indirect links (by means of positive and negative affectivity) with depressive symptoms and life satisfaction. These results add to the small but growing literature that identifies optimism and pessimism as important concomitants of psychological adjustment in more mature adults. (RH).
Accession Number	CPA-020111237 A
Classmark	SE: DK: DR: F:5HH: ENR: 4C: 7T
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...from the Ageinfo database published by Centre for Policy on Ageing.