Think Positively and Feel Positively: Optimism and Life Satisfaction in Late Life

Abstract

This study developed a dispositional path model of life satisfaction for community dwelling Chinese elderly living in Hong Kong. A sample of 117 elderly completed scales measuring life satisfaction, optimism, self-esteem, relationship harmony, self-construals, and perceived/expected health and financial status. Modeling revealed that life satisfaction was predicted by self-esteem and relationship harmony, which in turn were predicted by independent and interdependent self-construals, respectively. In addition, optimism predicted life satisfaction directly and indirectly through self-esteem and relationship harmony. Financial status mediated entirely the effect of optimism on life satisfaction. Health status was predicted by optimism but did not predict life satisfaction. Optimism is a key contributor to subjective well being because it fosters self-esteem, relationship harmony, and positive perceptions of financial conditions.

Marital Status, Career and Income as Indicators of Life Satisfaction Among Middle-aged Career Women in Hulu Langat, Selangor, Malaysia

“…Life satisfaction is commonly studied in a few countries like Australia (NATSEM, 2010), the United States of America (Meeks and Murrel, 2001), the Netherlands (Kapteyn, Smith & Soest, 2009), Canada (Gee and Veevers, 1990), Sweden (Berg, 2011;Borg, Hallberg & Blomqvist, 2005), Japan (Yamasaki, Nelson & Omori, 2011), China (Leung, Moneta & Chang, 2005;Song and Appleton, 2008), India (Hasnain, Ansari & Sethi, 2011), and more. The study on life satisfaction was conducted on various samples including the elderly (Ramachandran and Radhika, 2012;Sener, 2011;Song, 1992), from adulthood to death (Hutchinson, Simeon, Bain & Wyatt, 2004), teenagers (Kong and You, 2013), university students (Mahanta and Aggarwal, 2013), women (Jan and Masood, 2008) and workers from various sectors (Adams, King & King, 1996;Jessica, Johnson, Pitt & Smyer, 2008).…”

Optimism and Psychological Resilience in relation to Depressive Symptoms in University Students: Examining the Mediating Role of Self-Esteem

“…Because optimistic individuals have positive expectations for the future, they experience less anxiety and daily problems (LaMontagne, Hepworth, Salisbury, & Riley, 2003;Trunzo & Pinto, 2003), they experience more positive emotions (Lai et al, 2005) and they have more life satisfaction (Bailey, Eng, Frisch, & Snyder, 2007;Leung, Moneta, & McBride-Chang, 2005). Thus, they suffer less depressive symptoms because they can deal with problems more strongly (Chang, 1998;Puskar et al, 1999).…”

Social support and life satisfaction among Hong Kong Chinese older adults: family first?

“…The scale has been successfully used among Hong Kong older adults in a prior study (Leung et al 2005). SWLS originally includes 5 items rated on a 7-point Likert scale, ranging from 1 (strongly disagree) to 7 (strongly agree).…”