Il ruolo dell'ottimismo disposizionale nel perseguimento di obiettivi personali: implicazioni per il benessere

Dispositional optimism, defined as a positive expectancies for the future (Scheier & Carver, 1985; Scheier, Carver, & Bridges, 1994), predict engagement and effort across multiple contexts and life circumstances. Moreover, optimistic expectations that events will turn out for the better are incentives to initiate and persevere when people face with challenges in pursuing relevant personal goals. Dispositional optimism is also determinant when people have to cope with adversities and relevant difficulties (Affleck, Tennen, & Apter, 2002; Carver et al., 1994; Curbow, Somerfield, Baker, & Wingard, 1993; Fitzgerald, tennen, Affleck, & Pransky, 1993; Litt, Tennen, Affleck, & Klocks, 1992; Scheier et al, 1989). Nevertheless, only a few studies analyzed explicitly the influence of dispositional optimism on the whole process from establishing to concrete pursuing of personal goals (Jackson, Weiss, Lundquist, & Soderlind, 1992; Segerstrom & Solberg Nes, 2006). At the same time, several empirical evidences have shown that personal goals play an important role in determining people’s subjective well-being. Individual personal goals may be distinguished in terms of several characteristics; among them, goal expectancy, as a perceived probability of goal achievement, and value attributed to goal are important predictors of active effort and rate of progress in the goals pursuit. Moreover, it has been demonstrated that perceived progresses, goal value and conflict among goals influence individual life satisfaction and experiences of positive and negative affects (Brunstein, 1993; Emmons, 1986; Segerstrom & Solber Nes, 2006). Aims of the current contribution are to analyze the role of dispositional optimism in pursuing important personal goals and, at the same time, to investigate the consequent influences on individual subjective well-being. Results of a first study which involved 283 young adults showed important relationships among optimistic expectancies, short- and mid-term personal goal pursuit and subjective well-being. Specifically, dispositional optimism predicted effort, goal conflict, and expectancies about goal achievement. Moreover, pursuing important personal goals of short- and mid-term promote experiences of subjective well-being. In particular, positive affects are influenced by dispositional optimism, perceived progresses, and value attributed to goal. Finally, results highlighted not significant differences in well-being due to the pursuing of different typologies of goals. A second longitudinal study substantially replicated these results. This study involved 143 young adults. Similarly to the first study, optimistic expectancies played an important role in goal pursuing and personal goals exerted positive significant influences on subjective well-being. Furthermore, results showed that the beneficial effects of high perceived progresses are stable and lasting over time: the amount of progresses in the goals pursuing influenced life satisfaction and positive affects one month apart. Finally, also in this study we found no differences in subjective well-being due to the pursuing of different typologies of goals. In conclusion, these studies highlighted the relevant influence of dispositional optimism on several aspects of goals pursuing. Moreover, we found positive effects of positive goal pursuing on subjective well-being.