Dispositional Optimism,Explanatory Style And Mental Health: A Correlation Research In Chinese College Students

Optimism is one of the most important central concepts in the Positive Psychology. Two main approaches to the measurement of optimism have been taken and these are based on distinct conceptualized of optimism: dispositional optimism and optimistic explanatory style. Based on the review of optimism theory research in Western, useing subject well-being and depression as measurement indicators of mental health, the present study aims to explore the relationship between dispositional optimism and explanatory style, and optimism's influence on mental health in Chinese college students. The results showed:1. From the actual life events of Chinese college students, the Attributional Style Questionnaire was revised to measure the explanatory style of current Chinese college students. Further research result showed: the Attributional Style Questionnaire-revised had good reliability and validity.2. In view of the current inconsistencies in the research of dispositional optimism dimensionality, the present study used the structural equation model to certificate them. Confirmatory factor analysis showed that two-dimensional models fit the LOT items, dispositional optimism had two factors optimism and pessimism, and the correlation between optimism and pessimism was low. people had one optimism level and one pessimism level. 3. The students were divided into four groups. who reported high optimism and low pessimism (HL)were true optimists, the level of their mental health was the highest, so they experienced high life satisfaction, more positive affect and less negative affect. The results also showed: high optimism and high pessimism could coexist. these people experienced higher life satisfaction and less negative affect and depression than the true pessimists, so high optimism and low pessimism were the best level of dispositional optimism.4. Students were divided into the typical people with Optimistic explanatory style (OES) and with pessimistic explanatory style(PES). The results showed: on subject well-being and depression, there was significant difference between OES and PES. Further, the OES experienced higher life satisfaction and positive affect and less negative affect and depression than the PES.5. Dispositional optimism and explanatory style were two main approaches to optimism research, they had different psychology significance, exploring optimism from different Perspectives Regression analysis showed: explanatory style could significantly predict dispositional optimism, and dispositional optimism could also significantly predict explanatory style.6. The optimism and pessimism factors of dispositional optimism could significantly predict life satisfaction and positive affect, only the optimism factor of dispositional optimism could significantly predict negative affect and depression, so the optimism factor of dispositional optimism was the main aspect which influenced subject well-being and depression.Explanatory style could significantly predict subject well-being and depression, explanatory style could positively predict life satisfaction and positive affect and negatively predict negative affect and depression. The interaction effect between dispositional optimism and explanat- ory style could significantly predict some factors of subject well-being and depression, pessimism xexplanatory style could significantly predict life satisfaction, optimism xexplanatory style could significantly predict positive affect and negative affect.