The Original Odd Couple - Queendom.com Releases Results of Their Research on Optimists and Pessimists
Queendom.com takes a peak through rose-colored glasses and half-empty cups to uncover how pessimists and optimists view themselves and the world around them.
Montreal, Canada, March 07, 2012 --(PR.com)-- Queendom.com, a pioneer in online personality, career, IQ and relationship assessments has released its latest research on advantages and disadvantages of having an optimistic vs. pessimistic outlook. Queendom's study reveals that while optimists may not always be sufficiently cautious, they do tend to be more satisfied with their life, their relationships, and their health.
There are some benefits to having a more cynical view of life. Research by Gibson and Sanbonmatsu (2004) suggests that pessimists may be better gamblers, as optimists are more likely to keep trying to win despite losses, while their more negative counterparts will cut their losses and walk away. In her book The Positive Power of Negative Thinking, Dr. Julie Norem highlights the benefits of "defensive pessimism," in which pessimists will anticipate all the things that can go wrong in pursuit of a goal, allowing them to prepare and plan for potential obstacles. However, there are several benefits to an optimistic attitude that cannot be ignored.
With a sample of over 16,000 people, Queendom uncovered several advantages to an optimistic attitude. Optimistic people are more satisfied with their personal and work relationships, more comfortable taking risks, and tend to rate their health better than pessimists. Optimists also cope better with stressful situations, and are more confident during a crisis, fully believing that they'll get through it. Queendom's research also reveals that test-takers who admitted to being diagnosed with depression scored significantly lower on traits related to optimism such as hopefulness and sense of belonging.
Gender comparisons reveal that women have a stronger sense of belonging (social and emotional support from others) than men (score of 66 for women, 62 for men, on a scale from 0 to 100), and were also slightly less cynical (40 for women, 43 for men). Age comparisons indicate that optimism increases with age, as does hopefulness, sense of belonging, and the ability to cope with stress. Cynicism decreases with age.
"There's no doubt that optimism can have a positive impact on our lives - psychologists like Martin Seligman have dedicated decades of research to what is known today as 'Positive Psychology'," points out Dr. Ilona Jerabek, the president of the company. "However, it's important for people to truly understand what we refer to when we say 'optimism.' It's not a state of walking on the clouds, ignoring all the bad things in life. Healthy optimists are those who accept their weaknesses and strengths, building on the latter and developing the former. They choose to be hopeful for the future, and even if things do not turn out as expected; they try to find the lesson to be learned and move on. It's the extreme optimists, who believe that nothing can go wrong - and are thus not fully prepared for what does go wrong - that sometimes end up with a rude awakening."
Queendom did find people who possessed this sense of "invincibility," with 63% of them being younger than 25. These extreme optimists are characterized as very confident, resilient against stress, and rated themselves as being in good physical health. The downside: analyses also reveal that only 27% of the people in this group wear a seatbelt when in a car, compared to 69% for the rest of Queendom's sample.
"Clearly, a positive attitude with a healthy dose of common sense is the ideal - and with an overall optimism score of 58 for our 16,000+ sample, we can confidently theorize that most people seem to grasp this need for balance," concludes Dr. Jerabek.
Those who wish to take Queendom's optimism test can go to:
http://www.queendom.com/tests/access_page/index.htm?idRegTest=709
About Queendom.com
Queendom.com is a subsidiary of PsychTests AIM Inc. Queendom.com is a site that creates an interactive venue for self-exploration with a healthy dose of fun. The site offers a full range of professional-quality, scientifically-validated psychological assessments that empower people to grow and reach their real potential through insightful feedback and detailed, custom-tailored analysis.
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. The company's research division, Plumeus Inc., is supported in part by the Research and Development Tax Credit awarded by Industry Canada.
Contact:
Ilona Jerabek, Ph.D., President
PsychTests AIM Inc.
http://testyourself.psychtests.com/
ilona@psychtests.com
tel: 514-745-3189
###
There are some benefits to having a more cynical view of life. Research by Gibson and Sanbonmatsu (2004) suggests that pessimists may be better gamblers, as optimists are more likely to keep trying to win despite losses, while their more negative counterparts will cut their losses and walk away. In her book The Positive Power of Negative Thinking, Dr. Julie Norem highlights the benefits of "defensive pessimism," in which pessimists will anticipate all the things that can go wrong in pursuit of a goal, allowing them to prepare and plan for potential obstacles. However, there are several benefits to an optimistic attitude that cannot be ignored.
With a sample of over 16,000 people, Queendom uncovered several advantages to an optimistic attitude. Optimistic people are more satisfied with their personal and work relationships, more comfortable taking risks, and tend to rate their health better than pessimists. Optimists also cope better with stressful situations, and are more confident during a crisis, fully believing that they'll get through it. Queendom's research also reveals that test-takers who admitted to being diagnosed with depression scored significantly lower on traits related to optimism such as hopefulness and sense of belonging.
Gender comparisons reveal that women have a stronger sense of belonging (social and emotional support from others) than men (score of 66 for women, 62 for men, on a scale from 0 to 100), and were also slightly less cynical (40 for women, 43 for men). Age comparisons indicate that optimism increases with age, as does hopefulness, sense of belonging, and the ability to cope with stress. Cynicism decreases with age.
"There's no doubt that optimism can have a positive impact on our lives - psychologists like Martin Seligman have dedicated decades of research to what is known today as 'Positive Psychology'," points out Dr. Ilona Jerabek, the president of the company. "However, it's important for people to truly understand what we refer to when we say 'optimism.' It's not a state of walking on the clouds, ignoring all the bad things in life. Healthy optimists are those who accept their weaknesses and strengths, building on the latter and developing the former. They choose to be hopeful for the future, and even if things do not turn out as expected; they try to find the lesson to be learned and move on. It's the extreme optimists, who believe that nothing can go wrong - and are thus not fully prepared for what does go wrong - that sometimes end up with a rude awakening."
Queendom did find people who possessed this sense of "invincibility," with 63% of them being younger than 25. These extreme optimists are characterized as very confident, resilient against stress, and rated themselves as being in good physical health. The downside: analyses also reveal that only 27% of the people in this group wear a seatbelt when in a car, compared to 69% for the rest of Queendom's sample.
"Clearly, a positive attitude with a healthy dose of common sense is the ideal - and with an overall optimism score of 58 for our 16,000+ sample, we can confidently theorize that most people seem to grasp this need for balance," concludes Dr. Jerabek.
Those who wish to take Queendom's optimism test can go to:
http://www.queendom.com/tests/access_page/index.htm?idRegTest=709
About Queendom.com
Queendom.com is a subsidiary of PsychTests AIM Inc. Queendom.com is a site that creates an interactive venue for self-exploration with a healthy dose of fun. The site offers a full range of professional-quality, scientifically-validated psychological assessments that empower people to grow and reach their real potential through insightful feedback and detailed, custom-tailored analysis.
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. The company's research division, Plumeus Inc., is supported in part by the Research and Development Tax Credit awarded by Industry Canada.
Contact:
Ilona Jerabek, Ph.D., President
PsychTests AIM Inc.
http://testyourself.psychtests.com/
ilona@psychtests.com
tel: 514-745-3189
###
Contact
PsychTests AIM Inc.
Ilona Jerabek, Ph.D.
514-745-3189
http://corporate.psychtests.com/
toll-free at 1-888-855-6975
Ilona Jerabek, Ph.D.
514-745-3189
http://corporate.psychtests.com/
toll-free at 1-888-855-6975
Contact
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