International optimism: Correlates and consequences of dispositional optimism across 61 countries

Area of Science:

• Psychology
• Sociology
• Cross-cultural research

Background:

• Dispositional optimism, a key psychological construct, involves expecting positive future outcomes.
• Understanding global variations in optimism and its societal correlates is crucial for psychological well-being research.

Purpose of the Study:

• To explore dispositional optimism on a worldwide scale.
• To investigate the relationship between national characteristics and average optimism levels.
• To examine how individual optimism relates to well-being across diverse societal contexts.

Main Methods:

• A cross-cultural study assessing dispositional optimism and correlates in 61 countries.
• Data collected from 15,185 participants (mean age 21.92, 77% female).
• Analysis included computation of mean-level differences and relationships with individual and country-level variables.

Main Results:

• Worldwide, average optimism levels exceeded the midpoint of the scale.
• Country-level optimism showed negative correlations with GDP per capita, population density, and democratic norms.
• Optimism positively correlated with income inequality, perceived corruption, and projected economic improvement. Individual optimism consistently related to well-being, though less strongly in challenging socio-economic environments.

Conclusions:

• While general optimism is prevalent globally, societal factors significantly influence its association with psychological well-being.
• Unexpected relationships were observed between national optimism and socio-economic indicators.
• The findings highlight the complex interplay between individual psychology and societal context in shaping well-being.