Optimism and perceived stress are concepts that have been studied extensively in the recent years. Even though an association between the two has been established before, whether coping might play...Show moreOptimism and perceived stress are concepts that have been studied extensively in the recent years. Even though an association between the two has been established before, whether coping might play a role in this relationship is unclear. The aim of this study was to investigate whether resilient coping can be a mediator and explain at least part of the association between the level of optimism and perceived stress. A quasi-experimental design was employed and the data was collected cross-sectionally. The final sample consisted of 250 respondents with an age range of 16 to 60. The Life Orientation Test-Revised, Perceived Stress Scale, and Brief Resilient Coping Scale were used to measure the level of optimism, perceived stress, and resilient coping, respectively. Model 4 in PROCESS macro was used to test the mediation hypothesis. The results showed a significant indirect association between optimism and perceived stress via resilient coping BCa CI [-0.18, -0.02]. To gain more information about whether any causal effects are present within the established associations, an experimental and longitudinal research design is recommended for future studies, as well as going into detail about the potential roles of different coping strategies in this relationship. The findings provide insight about at least one mechanism that could explain the relationship between optimism and stress and could have important implications for interventions that target stress reduction if it is follow-up with some further research.Show less
Dispositional optimism is increasingly recognized as an important contributor to mental and physical health. The role of resilient coping on the relationship between dispositional optimism and...Show moreDispositional optimism is increasingly recognized as an important contributor to mental and physical health. The role of resilient coping on the relationship between dispositional optimism and anxiety symptoms has not yet been examined. In this study, the potential mediating role of resilient coping in the relationship between dispositional optimism and anxiety symptoms has been tested using PROCESS macro. The Life Orientation Test Revised, the Brief Resilient Coping Scale, and the Generalized Anxiety Disorder questionnaires were used for the assessment of optimism, resilient coping, and anxiety symptoms, respectively. The total, direct, and indirect effects were estimated using data from a healthy population (N = 248). The results showed that the level of dispositional optimism significantly predicted the level of anxiety symptoms (b = -.36, p < .001) such that higher levels of dispositional optimism were associated with lower levels of anxiety symptoms. No significant evidence was found for the mediating role of resilient coping in this relationship, possibly due to the low internal consistency of the questionnaire in this sample. As the sample in this study had an overrepresentation of students within the age range of 20-25, it is likely that the results might not apply to the larger population, given that there are differences in what students have to cope with compared to people who are in other phases of their lives. Future research may complement findings by investigating whether there is a causal relationship between coping skills and anxiety symptoms.Show less
