Optimism and Socioeconomic Status: A Cross-Cultural Study

Abstract

This research examined the relationship between optimism and socioeconomic status (SES) in a sample (N=245) of Anglo- and Mexican-Americans. Study I found small but significant correlations between both situational (measured by the Generalized Expectancy for Success Scale-Revised; GESS-R) and dispositional optimism (measured by the Life Orientation Test; LOT) and SES. Correlations were stronger for Anglo-Americans than for the sample as a whole and were not statistically significant for Mexican-American subjects. Study 2 used a purely Mexican-American sample (N=254), performed exploratory factor analysis on both the LOT and GESS-R, and correlated the rotated factor scores with SES. A GESS-R factor involving themes of social interaction correlated positively with SES (r=.17). Results are interpreted in terms of cultural differences between the two ethnic groups, particularly in light of the collectivist/individualist culture dichotomy.

Socioeconomic Disparities in Optimism and Pessimism

“…Previous work has either only examined the relationship with the total optimism score (Lynch et al 1997;Ek et al 2004) or studied special populations (Schutte et al 1996;Brody et al 2002). Heinonen et al (2006) focused on a much younger sample.…”

Unequally Distributed Psychological Assets: Are There Social Disparities in Optimism, Life Satisfaction, and Positive Affect?

“…This is partly because epidemiological cohorts do not typically assess dispositional optimism; they more often assess other psychological assets (i.e., indicators of positive psychological functioning) such as life satisfaction and positive affect. Limited research indicates greater optimism is associated with higher SES (most often indicated by education) among older community members [ 12 ] and adolescents or young adults [ 13 , 17 , 18 ]. But no research has systematically examined optimism’s association with key structural factors contributing to social disparities in health among U.S. adults including race/ethnicity, education, occupational class and prestige, and income.…”

Is Generalized Maternal Optimism or Pessimism During Pregnancy Associated with Unplanned Cesarean Section Deliveries in China?

“…Conceivably pessimism may serve as a proxy for another latent variable. Previous studies have linked optimism and pessimism to age, spirituality, and even SES, [ 52 – 54 ] but an additional, as yet undescribed and measured variable could explain the relationship between pessimism and unplanned cesarean section rates.…”