All Is Well: New Study By PsychTests.com Reveals Unexpected Advantages Of Optimism
A new study by PsychTests.com indicates that optimists experience a number of benefits as a result of their outlook, including better job performance and a lower likelihood of depression.
MONTREAL, July 20, 2019 /PRNewswire-PRWeb/ -- It's not hard to see the advantages of being an optimist. Research has shown that people with this outlook are better at coping with stress, they're happier, and even healthier. Optimism can also be infectious. Walk into a room filled with optimists and you would probably find yourself feeling more upbeat and content. There's more to optimism, however, than the positive mindset and hopeful outlook. A recent study from PsychTests reveals that optimists have several more surprising advantages over their glum counterparts.
Assessing data from over 16,000 people who took their at: Happiness Test (at: https://testyourself.psychtests.com/testid/2114), PsychTests' researchers focused their analysis on a sample of 1,658 pessimists and 1,545 optimists.
Here is Where They Differed:
- 80% of the optimistic group look for the best in others, even the most onerous of people (compared to 16% of pessimists).
- 80% have a large support network that they can rely on in difficult times (compared to 19% of pessimists).
- 93% are able to be objective and view a problem from different perspectives (compared to 27% of pessimists).
- 97% have a strong sense of self-efficacy and eagerly take on challenges (compared to 18% of pessimists).
- 97% have a proactive attitude towards life and actively seek out change (compared to 20% of pessimists).
- 97% are totally comfortable being their true selves, faults and all (compared to 17% of pessimists).
- 96% make it a point to learn from their mistakes and failures (compared to 51% of pessimists).
- 75% of the optimistic group are/were above average students (compared to 53% of pessimists).
- 93% are satisfied with their personal relationships (compared to 29% of pessimists).
- 71% are satisfied with their job (compared to 13% of pessimists).
- 75% received good ratings at their last performance review (compared to 30% of pessimists).
On The Flipside, Psychtests' Stuy Also Revealed That:
- 40% of the pessimistic group were diagnosed with or being treated for depression (vs. 14% of the optimists).
- 79% confessed that they feel lonely (compared to only 2% of the optimistic group).
"Optimism isn't about pretending to be happy when you're not, acting like problems don't exist, or taking chances on blind faith," explains Dr. Jerabek, president of PsychTests. "It also doesn't mean that you should repress your negative thoughts. Those are the kind of pie-in-the-sky optimists who refuse to accept reality as it is and can actually be quite reckless. The best outlook is optimism with a dose of realism. These are the optimists who recognize that there is a lesson in every negative situation and every failure. They prepare and plan ahead in case something could go wrong, but they also stay positive and focus on possibility, hope, and success. Most importantly, they understand that their outlook has a huge impact on their circumstances, and as our study and many other studies have shown, the benefits of being optimistic are numerous. You don't have to force yourself to be cheerful. Just strive to remember that how you view a situation impacts how you cope with it and how you approach it. So why not do so with an attitude of hope, promise, and positivity?"
Are you an optimist or a pessimist? Check out our Happiness Test at: https://testyourself.psychtests.com/testid/2114
Professional users can request a free demo for this or any other assessments from ARCH Profile's extensive battery: http://hrtests.archprofile.com/testdrive_gen_1
To learn more about psychological testing, download this free eBook:http://hrtests.archprofile.com/personality-tests-in-hr
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About PsychTests AIM Inc.
PsychTests AIM Inc. originally appeared on the internet scene in 1996. Since its inception, it has become a pre-eminent provider of psychological assessment products and services to human resource personnel, therapists, academics, researchers and a host of other professionals around the world. PsychTests AIM Inc. staff is comprised of a dedicated team of psychologists, test developers, researchers, statisticians, writers, and artificial intelligence experts (see ARCHProfile.com).
SOURCE PsychTests.com
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