Table of ContentsIntroductionTheoretical Conceptions of OptimismLearned OptimismDispositional OptimismHopeConclusionReferencesIntroductionOptimism derives from the Latin word optimal, meaning "best" and is considered a mental state in which individuals view aspects more positive and favorable situations and anticipate them. Conversano et al (2010) suggest that this encompasses the propensity to hope and believe that things will work out. Unlike optimism, pessimism is the tendency to anticipate negative or undesirable outcomes. A phase widely used to explain optimists and pessimists is how they view the glass as half-filled. A pessimist would consider the glass half empty and an optimist would consider it half full. Both optimism and pessimism are traits that can be found in anyone and are not dependent on an individual, but can be influenced by factors such as individuals' disposition and traits; they constitute a continuum. The topic of optimism has given rise to many theoretical concepts to explain why some exhibit aspects of it such as learned optimism, dispositional optimism, and hope. This essay on optimism will examine these three theoretical designs to explore individual differences within optimism. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on “Why Violent Video Games Should Not Be Banned”? Get the original essay Theoretical Conceptions of Optimism Learned Optimism Seligman developed the conception of learned optimism through the attributional reformulation of the learned helplessness model (Seligman et al, 1978). According to Seligman, learned helplessness occurs when people learn to be helpless when they find themselves in overwhelming situations and feel like nothing they can do will make a difference. The way people attribute what happens in their lives can be caused by internal or external factors that contribute to whether or not they feel this helplessness. He proposes three attributes for the onset of learned helplessness that involve internal (themselves), stable (it will last forever), and global (it will affect everything) factors to explain their failures. How people deal with their successes and failures influences their lives. Seligman uses aspects of the Ellis model to explain how to achieve optimism through the ABC model. A is adversity which involves forming beliefs about the situation/adversity experienced. B is the belief and how individuals interpret adversity and finally C is the consequences that beliefs have on the individual and the result of what the individual may feel, how they may behave or react. Individuals' explanatory style is how they get from point A to point B, which influences people's optimistic thinking. Rotters' (1966) locus of control phenomenon supports the theory of learned helplessness. People with an internal locus of control show control over what happened and those with an external locus of control explain situations that occur outside of their personal influences and show no control over them (Macsinga and Nemeti, 2012). Although learned optimism may explain individuals' development of optimistic thinking, Seligman suggests that it may be easier to become a pessimist than an optimist (Seligman, 1998). But while it's not as easy to be optimistic as it is to be helpless, it is possible and can be done. Dispositional Optimism Sometimes other factors such as disposition can influence individuals to becomeoptimistic. Michael Scheier and Charles Carver (1992) proposed dispositional optimism. It is the tendency to expect favorable outcomes. This explanation is drawn from the idea of ​​personality/traits and genetics that influence individual susceptibility to optimism. Research by Scheier and Carver, 1985, shows that the genetic heritability of dispositional optimism is approximately 33% in the population, thus confirming a genetic prevalence within optimism, although the remainder may be attributed to optimism.environment and situations (Segerstrom et al 1998). However, dispositional optimism does not explain other influences that lead to optimism, such as their environment. Segerstrom et al 1998 propose that situational optimism also influences people in their optimistic thinking and that they have better mental health than dispositional optimism. This may be because situational optimists have more specific positive views and expect good things to happen in specific areas. However, this is a relatively new area of ​​research within optimism that requires further revision. Hope Additionally, hope is another theoretical conception of optimism and was developed by Synder 1994. Hope is an individual's expectation that his or her goals will be achieved. Synder points out that people make plans or paths in order to achieve the goals they have set through three elements which are action, path and goal. First, the goal is what individuals wish to achieve, this includes mental targets; the second aspect is action, which refers to the degree of motivation the individual has to enable him or her to achieve the goal; finally, the path means how the individual will get there and achieve the goal. Synder 2002 also showed explanations for low-hope and high-hope people, which essentially produce different results. Individuals with low hope often have only one goal, generally ambiguous, while individuals with high hope set several goals (around 6 according to Synder). This allows people with high hopes not to feel depressed if one goal is not achieved, because they have others to achieve and are therefore better able to find different paths. This is supported by many researchers such as McDermott and Snyder, 1999; Snyder et al., 2002, who found that individuals with high hopes performed better academically and athletically. The same is true for mental health, where high hope individuals demonstrate high self-esteem and low hope individuals demonstrate depression (e.g. Snyder, 2000; 2002). However, high hope can lead to false hope syndrome which can affect how people cope with different situations. Conclusion Research in the area of ​​optimism shows that individual differences influence optimistic thinking. Dispositional optimism suggests that optimism has genetic influences, but situational optimism suggests that attributing positive thinking based on a situation leads to better mental health. Additionally, research has shown that low and high hopes influence optimistic thinking. This therefore provides a general explanation for optimism, although some aspects require further review due to limited evidence. Overall, individual differences do explain optimistic thinking, as positive psychology has demonstrated. However, the origin of the optimism is still unclear. Furthermore, Peterson 2000 suggests that optimism should not be..