Optimistic Explanatory Style

Meet Jane. Jane just got rejected from her dream job, and everyone is telling her…
“Be optimistic!” And maybe they’re right.
Optimists on average are less likely to experience depression and anxiety, are better problem solvers, and have better physical health.
But can Jane just “be” optimistic?
Optimism depends on tons of factors including relationship with parents, socioeconomic status, school performance, major life events, where you live, & who your friends are.
But there’s one thing Jane can control…her explanatory style.
What’s that?
Explanatory style is the way we understand our life events.
Using optimistic explanatory style, uncontrollable negative events are attributed to external (rather than internal) causes, unstable (rather than stable) causes, and specific (rather than global) causes.
In simpler terms, optimistic explanatory style is saying “no” to the three P’s.
It’s not personal (external cause)
It’s not permanent (unstable cause)
It’s not pervasive (specific cause)
Now, back to Jane and the job. Using optimistic explanatory style, Jane can say:
It’s not personal. “They didn’t dislike me, particularly. They just found a more qualified candidate.”
It’s not permanent. “I’m sure I’ll find a job soon if I keep trying.”
It’s not pervasive. “I may not be well qualified for this job, but I’m definitely qualified for others.”
Now Jane is ready to get back out there and land her dream job.
When negative events occur in your life, put things in perspective, like Jane.
It’s not personal. It’s not permanent. It’s not pervasive.

This video is based on the following empirical articles:
Ben-Zur, H. (2003). Happy adolescents: The link between subjective well-being, internal resources, and parental factors. Journal of Youth and Adolescence, 32(2), 67-79. doi:http://dx.doi.org/10.1023/A:1021864432505
Brewin, C. R., & Andrews, B. (1996). Intergenerational links and positive self-cognitions: Parental correlates of optimism, learned resourcefulness, and self-evaluation. Cognitive Therapy and Research, 20(3), 247-263. Retrieved from http://search.proquest.com/docview/618794521?accountid=7379
Caprara, G. V., Fagnani, C., Alessandri, G., Steca, P., Gigantesco, A., Sforza, L. L. C., & Stazi, M. A. (2009). Human optimal functioning: The genetics of positive orientation towards self, life, and the future. Behavior Genetics, 39(3), 277-284. doi:http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s10519-009-9267-y
Daukantaite, D., & Bergman, L. R. (2005). Childhood roots of women’s subjective well-being: The role of optimism. European Psychologist, 10(4), 287-297. doi:http://dx.doi.org/10.1027/1016-9040.10.4.287
Daukantait, D., & Zukauskiene, R. (2012). Optimism and subjective well-being: Affectivity plays a secondary role in the relationship between optimism and global life satisfaction in the middle-aged women. Journal of Happiness Studies, 13(1), 1-16. doi:http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s10902-010-9246-2
Ek, E., Remes, J., & Sovio, U. (2004). Social and developmental predictors of optimism from infancy to early adulthood. Social Indicators Research, 69(2), 219-242. doi:http://dx.doi.org/10.1023/B:SOCI.0000033591.80716.07
Fischer, R., & Chalmers, A. (2008). Is optimism universal? A meta-analytical investigation of optimism levels across 22 nations. Personality and Individual Differences, 45(5), 378-382. doi:http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.paid.2008.05.008
Geers, A. L., Reilley, S. P., & Dember, W. N. (1998). Optimism, pessimism, and friendship. Current Psychology, 17(1), 3-19. doi:http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s12144-998-1017-4
Hjelle, L. A., Busch, E. A., & Warren, J. E. (1996). Explanatory style, dispositional optimism, and reported parental behavior. The Journal of Genetic Psychology, 157(4), 489-499. Retrieved from http://search.proquest.com/docview/228521923?accountid=7379
Korkeila, K., Kivelä, S., Suominen, S., Vahtera, J., Kivimäki, M., Sundell, J., . . . Koskenvuo, M. (2004). Childhood adversities, parent-child relationships and dispositional optimism in adulthood. Social Psychiatry and Psychiatric Epidemiology, 39(4), 286-92. doi:http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s00127-004-0740-x
Nolen-Hoeksema, S., Girgus, J. S., & Seligman, M. E. (1992). Predictors and consequences of childhood depressive symptoms: A 5-year longitudinal study. Journal of Abnormal Psychology, 101(3), 405-422. doi:http://dx.doi.org/10.1037/0021-843X.101.3.405
Peterson, C., Seligman, M., & Vaillant, G. (1988). Pessimistic explanatory style is a risk factor for physical illness: A 35-year longitudinal study. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 55, 23–27.
Seligman, M., Abramson, L., Semmel, A., & Von Baeyer, C. (1984). Depressive attributional style. Southern Psychologist, 2, 18–22.
Seligman, M. E. P., Castellon, C., Cacciola, J., Schulman, P., Luborsky, L., Ollove, M., & Downing, R. (1988). Explanatory style change during cognitive therapy for unipolar depression. Journal of Abnormal Psychology, 97(1), 13-18. doi:http://dx.doi.org/10.1037/0021-843X.97.1.13

Samantha Schwartz

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