Optimism-Pessimism and Coping Strategies: Prediction of Psychological Adjustment in Adolescents

Optimism plays a major role in coping with stressful life events. The purpose of the present study is to examine the influence of optimism on coping strategies and psychological adjustment in adole-scents. In a correlational and causal-comparative study, 208 females and 147 males volunteers to university entrance examination through a random cluster sampling were selected. Four questionnaires of Life Orientation Test - Revised (LOT-R), Ways of Coping Questionnaire (WOCQ), Satisfaction with Life Scale (SWLS) and General Health Questionnaire (GHQ) were then administered to the subjects. Optimists benefited greater problem-focused coping strategies compared to the pessimists. In addition, they had better general health (p<0.001) and life satisfaction (p<0.001). Regression analysis indicated that optimism-pessimism accounted for a significant amount of the variance (p<0.05) in coping strategies and psychological adjustment. These findings confirm the role of optimism in employing better psychological adjustment.