1

Optimism and subjective well-being among adolescents in Metro Manila

By

Sr. Sheela Menachery

2

CHAPTER I

THE PROBLEM AND A REVIEW OF RELATED LITERATURE

Optimism is the belief that things will turn out well. It is the expectation that good things will come your way and that you have the ability to control the direction of your life. There are plenty of common phrases that capture the essence of optimism: "seeing the glass as half full," "making lemonade out of lemons," "every cloud has a silver lining." Each of these phrases captures the belief that optimism can transform a negative situation into something positive, and that optimism helps guide people to look for meaning in times of hardship. Although optimism and pessimism often refer to how people think about the future, they also refer to how people think about the past; specifically, the causes of the good and bad events in their lives. When something bad happens—like having a fight with someone you love, or losing your job, or getting a bad grade on a test—optimistic thinkers believe that what caused the problem can be changed, and they believe that problems in one area of their lives won't necessarily lead to problems in all areas. Pessimistic thinkers, in contrast, believe that they are the sole cause of their problems, that those problems are going to last forever, and that they are going to seep into every aspect of their lives. ( Reivich,2010)

Theoretical Back ground Optimism is defined as the cognitive disposition to expect favorable outcomes (Scheier & Carver, 1985). A substantial body of research has linked optimism to effective coping and to positive mental and physical health outcomes (e.g., Scheier, Carver, & Bridges, 2001; Taylor, Kemeny, Reed, Bower, & Gruenewald, 2000).

In the second half of the twentieth century, there is, an increasingly large body of psychological research related to optimism and mental health began to move away from this negative perspective, instead focusing on the positive impact of optimism for well-being in many different aspects of life – from mental and physical health to job satisfaction and emotional balance. Psychologists began to argue that people are naturally inclined to think about life in a positive way, regardless of the objective evidence that might suggest otherwise. This, they suggested, was essentially a ‘good thing’ because it motivated us to achieve positive outcomes. We continue to think positively, for example, about the idea of marriage, despite the increasing rate of divorce. Similarly, people generally underplay the likelihood of contracting particular diseases despite the statistical probability of this occurring. In a seminal study of attitudes among smokers conducted by the psychologist Neil Weinstein, for example, participants regularly considered themselves less likely than the average smoker to contract lung cancer, in spite of evidence to the contrary (Weinstein, 2005) This positive outlook on optimism remains popular among psychologists today, although most also recognize that optimism can be experienced in varying degrees, not all of which are beneficial to one’s mental well-being.(SIRC,2009) For example, happy people report higher self-esteem and greater optimism (e.g., Lucas, Diener, & Suh, 1996; Lyubomirsky & Lepper, 1999; Lyubomirsky, Tkach, & DiMatteo, 2006; Tarlow & Haaga, 1996), The concepts of optimism and pessimism concern people’s expectations for the future. These concepts have ties to

3

centuries of folk wisdom and also to a class of psychological theories of motivation, called expectancy-value theories. Such theories suggest a logical basis for some of the ways in which optimism and pessimism influence people’s behavior and emotions. Expectancy-value models begin with the idea that behavior is aimed at attaining desired goals (Carver & Scheier, 1998).

Optimism Is a Way of thinking

One of the most important points about optimism is that optimism is a style of thinking, not a permanent part of your character. People can learn to change their style of thinking just like they can change the style of clothing they wear. This point is critical. People can learn to think optimistically. Children can learn to think optimistically. Pessimistic thinking can be replaced with optimistic thinking. And the reason this matters is that optimism is a significant determinant of mental health, academic and work success, physical health, and overall happiness. (Reivich,2010)

Optimism Enhancing Activities

Writing : Writing exercise in away enables one’s optimistic muscles into activation. Thinking about a bright future is not so natural for everyone. You can acquire it only through time and training. William Faulkner once said “I never know what I think about something until I read what I have written on it” when you write about your future it may bring an inspiration about your goals. Thus keeping a journal may improve your optimism .(Lyubomirsky,2008)

Adolescents and Optimism During this critical time of self-awareness and growth, children need to exercise optimism and confidence so that they can handle the common challenges of growing up. Parents, teachers, older siblings, relatives and other significant adults must assist children in developing anoptimistic approach to life that can empower them to reach their goals and achieve the highest level of personal satisfaction. Positive peer pressure can lead to the development of an optimistattitude; however, pessimistic peers can cause children to view the world in a negative light.Therefore, it is critical that young people exercise care in selecting friends that have a positive influence on their lives. This awkward period of physical and emotional development should be approached with an optimistic and confident attitude. As young adults begin to experience the world with less direct adult guidance, it is critical that they be equipped with the skills necessary to cope with the daily pressures of adolescence. A positive and confident self-awareness can enable teens to face the difficult decisions and circumstances that are common during this stage of development. Teens facing challenging times may tend to become hopeless and frustrated. Adults need to realize that maintaining a positive and optimistic attitude is an on-going process

4

and that teens may need continued guidance in their journey through adolescence.( Thomason, 2000)Growing up in an increasingly complex world means young people need the resources and skills to positively and successfully navigate their way through life. It is suggested that one of the best ways we can equip children to be resilient and thrive is to teach them how to view any situation or incident in an optimistic way. This approach does not mean that negative or troubling events are trivialized into a falsely rosy picture. Instead, the ability to be optimistic allows a person to look beyond the immediacy of a negative experience and learn from it, so as to deal with it more effectively should that situation rise again. Through promoting optimism, the strengths and resilience of children are fostered in a way that translates into every other aspect of their lives, maximizing their sense of achievement and well-being. A significant amount of research on optimism has been carried out in recent years, with optimism defined as a set of expectations about the future that is markedly positive and hopeful. Psychologists now understand that optimism forms a critical part of both mental and physical well-being. Both children and adults with an optimistic outlook experience better health, and are much more likely to bounce back from adversity, including chronic illness or bereavement. ( Marslew 2010)

Academic Optimism of Schools Driving Force for Student Achievement

Our conception of academic optimism includes both cognitive and affective (emotional) dimensions and adds a behavioral element. Collective efficacy is a group belief or expectation; it is cognitive. Faculty trust in parents and students is an affective response. Academic emphasis is the push for particular behaviors in the school workplace (Hoy et al., 2006). Hoy and his colleagues concluded that "collective efficacy reflects the thoughts and beliefs of the group; faculty trust adds an affective dimen-sion, and academic emphasis captures the behavioral enactment of efficacy and trust" Academic optimism paints a rich picture of human agency that explains collective behavior in terms of cognitive, affective, and behav-ioral dimensions. The relationships among the three major dimensions of academic optimism can be seen as a triadic set of interactions with each element functionally dependent on the others. Faculty trust in parents and students encourages a sense of collective efficacy, and collective efficacy reinforces and enhances trust. Similarly, when the faculty trusts parents, teachers can insist on higher academic standards with confidence that they will not be undermined by parents, and high academic standards in turn reinforce faculty trust. Finally, when the faculty believes it has the capability to organize and execute actions that will have positive effects on student achievement, academic achievement is emphasized, and academic emphasis in turn reinforces a strong sense of collective efficacy. In summary, all of the elements of academic optimism have transactional relationships with each other and interact to create a culture of academic optimism in schools.(Hoy 2006)

Subjective Well-being and Optimism

In terms of mental well-being, individuals with an optimistic outlook are much more likely to view negative events as temporary, their own actions as highly effective, and tend to have more friends. They are more likely to experience greater success in academic, athletic, occupational and political fields, and, as a consequence, are much less likely to ever suffer depression or anxiety in their lives. The single most exciting finding of all this research, however, is that

5

optimism can be taught. It is malleable and flexible, and since it promotes problem solving, it allows the individual to respond in different, open-minded ways as the situation dictates.

It is important to note, however, that young people's optimism tends to decline with age. This significant trend has been documented in several research studies and seems directly proportional to the onset of depression in early adolescence.This is why fostering the optimism of children in a systematic way is so critical - This optimism does not have to decline, it can be maintained in a viable, adaptive way, so long as children are taught how to draw on the skills of optimism in a conscious way. Promoting and teaching optimism in this way provides children and adolescents with a set of "thinking tools" that allows them to navigate life in a more productive, happier, even healthier, way. The skills of optimism promote children's ability to master tasks, be confident in their own actions, view their setbacks as opportunities for growth, and interact with their parent, family, and peers in an active, resourceful way. ( Marslew 2010)

Program Rationale

The rationale for this program is that the program developer is aware that optimism is an important aspect of Subjective well being that needs to be enhanced. Optimism and positive thinking enhances subjective well being. When individuals are optimistic about the future they are able to achieve lifelong goals and optimistic thinking enhances happiness which prompts to engage in active and effective coping. Our objectives are to help the adolescents to learn and to recognize the choices they have in adopting optimism as a choice of their life and to acquire some of the skills of optimism that will enhance their Subjective Well Being.

Psychologists have recently emphasized the need for promoting adolescent well-being, beyond the existing focus on symptom reduction. Mitigating pathology is important, but its absence is different from mental health (Keyes, 2007). The traditional approach identifying and fixing weaknesses may be limited in fostering the ‘‘good life’’ (Sheldon & King, 2001). Therefore, this study would like to consider complementing existing practices by identifying and augmenting strengths, like optimism to promote the Happiness of the adolescents. Boosting one’s optimism and subjective well being is an important process towards healthy functioning of the adolescents.

Objectives To design a program focused on optimism and so to help the students to develop an

optimistic outlook about life which would lead to subjective well beingCHAPTER IIMETHOD

This chapter describes the procedures and the elements involved in conducting the studyIncluding Program Rationale, participants, instruments, data gathering, and data analysis.

Participants

The participants to this Program are the high school students of Carlos L. Albert High School. The numbers of students will be 50 However, this seminar is a very good tool for all

6

the adolescents because they can check their subjective well being and optimism and they can know more about themselves and it will help them to improve their optimism which may lead to the increase of their subjective well Being.

InstrumentsI will administer SWL questionnaire to the adolescents in order to measure their

Subjective well being.Hypothesis

Optimism may increase SWB of Adolescents.

Research Problem Does optimism increase subjective well being among the adolescence in Metro Manila? Is there a connection between subjective wellbeing and optimism

PROGRAM OVERVIEW:Opening Ceremony Prayer Power PointSession IOrientation and Introduction

1. Activity

Administering the SWLS

2. Activity I

Wish You Health and Happiness

Specific objectives.• To make the members get to know each other.• To help the members to create an optimist group

Time. 10 minutesGoals.

To encourage group to have an optimistic out look To get to know each other

I Wish You Health and Happiness

Taking elements of the Buddhist Eightfold Path include "right thinking" and "right speech." By thinking and saying positive thoughts about self and to others, you gradually can create optimism not only in the other person, but also in yourself. In the terms of cognitive behavior therapy, one is restructuring cognitions. A Buddhist might add that "What goes around comes around.

7

Instructions to participants Now I would like each participant to get up and while shaking the hands of all the people in the room and looking them in the eye, say, as earnestly as possible, "I wish you health and happiness you also introduce yourself and tell something specific that you like about yourself and Once you finish, we all say together, "I wish you health and happiness.

Discussion points

1. What did you feel when others wished you well?2. How did you feel when you had to speak good about yourself?

Lecture Lecture on optimism and subjective well Being PPT on Optimism Discussion: What is optimism? Your only television will be in the repair shop for the next three weeks. Discuss some optimistic reactions to this situation

3. Activity Optimism Hat (Encouraging others optimism)

Kindly take a piece of paper, write your name , in bold on one side , on the other side you should write on the paper your optimistic personal wish about future that you would like to attain in the future. After you complete writing put it in to the hat. Now I would like each participant to pick up someone else’s wish, read the wish, and write a supportive response on the same paper. For example “I am sure you can achieve this ….” And hand it over to the person for whom it belongs. Later record in your journal what did you feel when you got the affirmation of others about your optimistic wish.

4. Activity

Dream Bag

I would Like you write down something you would like to achieve in your life on This slip of paper. use another slip to write down something you would like to achieve in your life in the next few weeks. Write in another slip one or more affirmations about yourself that will set the stage for the realization of this goal after you complete this make a tag for the Bag, My dream Bag. Every day as you rise up pick one slip from your dream bag and read what you have written.

5. Optimistic Creed

8

Learn the first tenet of the “OPTIMIST CREED.” Consciously think about it for 30 seconds at least three times a day for one week. Think about it especially when you are entering a different physical space or greeting a different person. Repeat this exercise for every tenet.

Now I would like you to Practice this The Optimist Creed

The Optimist Creed

Promise Yourself --To be so strong that nothing can disturb your peace of mind.To talk health, happiness and prosperity to every person you meet.To make all your friends feel that there is something in them.To look at the sunny side of everything and make your optimism come true.To think only of the best, to work only for the best and to expect only the best.To be just as enthusiastic about the success of others as you are about your own.To forget the mistakes of the past and press on to the greater achievements of the future.To wear a cheerful countenance at all times and give every living creature you meet a smile.To give so much to the improvement of yourself that you have no time to criticize others.To be too large for worry, too noble for anger, too strong for fear, and too happy to permit the presence of trouble. (OPTIMIST INTERNATIONAL)

6. Your Optimism Vision Mission Statement

Have look at the Optimism Vision Mission Statement and Complete by writing in the space provided: a) Your vision about how can you become an optimist. b) Mission how are you going to achieve it. Let it be an optimistic wish. Share it with the group. As each one share their Vision Mission Statement the group responds, “You can achieve this Vision Mission Statement”

9

At the end of the day write in your journal what Progress you made towards your vision mission statement.

Keep a Journal Make note in your journal how much you succeeded in your activities like dream bag and optimistic vision mission statement Practice this for a week.

Second session

10

Activity

Sharing the effectiveness of the ProgramEvaluation on Subjective Well Being administering the SWLS again and see the difference in the score.

References

Weinstein, N D, Marcus, S, & Moser, R. (2005) Smokers' unrealistic optimism about their risk, Tobacco Control, 14(1), 55-5

Scheier, M. F., Carver, C. S., & Bridges, M. W. (2001). Optimism, pessimism, and psychological well-being. In E. C. Chang (Ed.), Optimism and pessimism: Implications for theory, research, and practice (pp. 189–216). Washington, DC: American Psychological Association.

Thomason,Deborah J. Thomason, Ed.D., Extension Family & YouthDevelopment Specialist Brenda J. Thames, Ed.D., CFCS, Extension Program Development Specialist Family relationships

Scheier, M. F., & Carver, C. S. (1985). Optimism, coping, and health: Assessment and implications of generalized outcome expectancies.Health Psychology, 4, 219–247.

http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Ken_Marslew Optimism - The Key to a Successful Life

Reivich, J,R.(2010) Optimism: A Key Ingredient to Happiness Communiqué 38, (7 ) Retrieved on August 11, 2010, retrieved from http://www.nasponline.org/publications/cq/pdf/V38N7_Optimism_A_Key_to_Happiness.pdf

Diener, E. (1984). Subjective well-being. Psychological Bulletin, 95, (3), 542-575.

Diener, E. (2000). Subjective well-being: The science of happiness and a proposal for a national index. American Psychologist, 55, (1), 34-43.

Carver, C.S., & Scheier, M.F. (2002a). Optimism. In C.R. Snyder & S.J. Lopez (Eds.), Handbook of positive psychology (pp. 231–243). Oxford: University Press.

Fredrickson, B. L. (2001). The role of positive emotions in positive psychology: the broaden-and-build theory of positive emotions. American Psychologist, 56, 218e226.

Lyubomirsky, S., King, L. A., & Diener, E. (2005). The benefits of frequent positive affect. Psychological Bulletin, 131, 803e855.

11

Lucas, R. E., Diener, E., & Suh, E. M. (1996). Discriminant validity of well-being measures.Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 71, 616-628

Carver, C. S., & Scheier, M. F. (1998). On the self-regulation of behavior. New York:Cambridge University Press