The present thesis provides a theoretical overview, including a neurobiological perspective, of well-being (WB), eudaimonic well-being (EWB), optimism, pessimism and cultural differences between Western and Eastern societies.  In addition, an empirical study investigated these concepts in Japanese and Swedish participants. Definitional problems and scarce neurobiological findings are two current problems to date within research on WB, EWB and cultural differences especially when looking at comparisons between Europe and East Asia. Interpretations and conclusions are therefore hard and tentative to make as more research is yet needed. This thesis empirical part therefore investigated the association between these concepts. In the best of the authors knowledge have this type of explorative study never been done before. 142 Swedish participants and 68 Japanese participants between the ages of 20 to 40 answered the self-reporting questionnaires; revised life orientation test (LOT-R), psychological well-being scale (SPWB) and the minimalist well-being scale (MWBS). The findings demonstrate that Swedish people report higher levels of optimism compared with Japanese people whom in turn report higher levels of pessimism when measured with LOT-R. Findings further demonstrate that Swedish people report higher levels of EWB when measured with SPWB. In comparison do Japanese people report higher levels of EWB when measured with MWBS. A difference was found in response pattern between MWBS and SPWB. And last did the findings suggest correlations in total scores of MWBS, SPWB and LOT-R but not within all sub-dimensions. Discussion of the results, limitations of the thesis and suggestions for future research concludes the thesis.

The literature on depression is dominated by theories which focus on individualistic variables, including biological differences, personality, and individual cognition. Whilst the importance of social variables for depression risk and recovery has also been recognised, there has been a notable absence of a unifying theory explaining, how, when, and why they might impact on depression. In recent years, the Social Identity Approach (SIA) - a theoretical framework with roots in social psychology - has been used to provide a new understanding of the role of group processes in depression. The aim of this thesis was to add to a growing body of evidence in support of the SIA to depression by replicating previous findings using a sample, who on average, scored high on a measure of depression symptomology, and by identifying additional mediators of the relationship between social identity processes and depression. Specifically, it was theorised that optimism - a personality variable associated with depression, but traditionally conceptualised as a fixed trait - would vary along with group memberships and mediate the effect of social identity processes on depression. Participants who had experienced depression (N = 288) completed an online survey. It was found that in support of previous research, an increase in group involvement predicted lower depression scores. However, this relationship was mediated by increased optimism. Similarly, identifying more strongly with a specific group predicted depression indirectly through an increase in perceived social support, and increased optimism. For a sub-sample of participants with experience of psychological therapy (N = 135), the negative association between a good therapeutic alliance and depression was serially mediated by increased identification with the therapist, internalisation of the therapist identity between sessions, and increased optimism. The extent to which the therapist was perceived as prototypical of therapists in general also indirectly reduced depression via increased identification with the therapist category, and increased optimism. These findings are discussed in relation to the further development of the social identity approach to depression, with consideration of their implications for onset, maintenance and recovery.

Uganda´s well-being ranks among the worst in the world, while Sweden´s well-being ranks among the best. This thesis investigates if there is a difference in well-being and dispositional optimism in Uganda and Sweden. The neurobiology underlying well-being and optimism is also examined. The neural correlations of well-being and optimism are connected to areas in the limbic system and cerebral cortex. Prefrontal cortex and anterior cingulate cortex are two curial regions involved in both well-being and optimism. Amygdala, parahippocampal gyrus, and thalamus are central areas for hedonic well-being, dispositional optimism, and optimism bias. In this thesis 284 Ugandans and 256 Swedes completed a questionnaire based survey. Greater hedonic well-being was found among Swedes, whereas greater eudiamonic well-being was found among Ugandans. Swedes reported greater global life satisfaction than Ugandans, but Ugandans expressed higher satisfaction with their current lives compared with Swedes. In relation to dispositional optimism, Ugandans were found to be both more optimistic and more pessimistic than Swedes. This unexpected dispositional optimism pattern is discussed and future research directions are proposed.

Magister Commercii - MCom / The costs of occupational health and well-being are increasingly being considered as sound ‘investments’ as healthy and engaged employees yield direct economic benefits to the company.The concept of Work engagement plays a vital role in this endeavour because engagement entails positive definitions of employee health and promotes the optimal functioning of employees within an organisational setting. The objective of this study was to examine the relationship between work engagement, self-efficacy and optimism amongst call centre employees in a retail organisation in the Western Cape. Over the last several years, most call centre research has predominately been focused on the aspects and causes of stress, burnout, and the deterrents of employee’s well-being. In response to the prevailing preoccupation with negative aspects, the research focused on more positive aspects of human functioning and experiences. The sample comprised of ninety three call centre employees who are employed in the customer service department in a major retail organisation in the Western Cape. Convenience sampling was utilised. The measuring instruments included the Utrecht Work Engagement Scale, The Life Orientation Test-Revised and The General Self-Efficacy Scale. Statistically significant relationships were found between work engagement, self-efficacy and optimism. It was found that call centre agents displayed average levels of work engagement and optimism however they displayed high levels of self-efficacy. It was furthermore found that a moderate percentage of the variance in work engagement can be explained by self-efficacy and optimism. The implication of the results is that interventions that focus on the personal resources (viz. efficacy beliefs,optimism, hope and resiliency) and job resources (viz. physical, social or organizational aspects of the job) will contribute to increasing levels of work engagement.

This thesis examines the extent to which optimism has a bearing on objectivity in scientific inquiry. It is not, however, a psychological level examination into objectivity. Rather, the discussion focuses on collective attitudes, whether in the form of science or a more general public opinion. In essence, sources of optimism at the fundamental level of scientific inquiry are articulated with a careful attempt to differentiate between attitudes about the subject (methodology) and the object of study. The antithetical thread of optimism versus pessimism is teased out with the use of a joint case study of liberalism and Stalinism. The idea of antithesis, however, is contrasted by the fact that, although mirror image ideologies, these collective attitudes share a common faith in progress (albeit through different social mechanisms). This faith in progress provides the basis for the crux of the thesis as it moves to discuss scientific methodology. There is general agreement on what good science should look like and the possibility of progressive science can be articulated. However, it is also possible to highlight the conditions for degenerative science and to further link this to a degenerative social totality in which democracy and social progress are undermined. Economics is used as a case study and it is argued that dogmatic notions on progress have proved to be a major stumbling block to objectivity in the discipline. Furthermore, the implications on the real world are serious.

n recent years, self-knowledge and optimism have been considered phenomena helping men succeed. The diploma thesis was aimed at investigating whether selected successful managers possess self-knowledge and optimism, and whether these phenomena might help them be successful. The subjects were the finalists of the competition Manager of the Year 2014. Semi-structured interviews were used as a method in the research. The diploma thesis concludes that the selected managers possess high levels of self-knowledge in certain areas. They use methods for raising self-knowledge such as experience, behavior reflections, or raising self-knowledge through other people. The managers find self-knowledge important for reasons such as: setting a direction in life, setting goals, managing people, or developing self-control. The data analysis included the comparison of the managers in areas of self-knowledge, optimism and mindset.

Using the 2004 General Social Survey, I illuminate how dispositional optimism as a form of emotional capital enhances personal network range while also contributing to public goods through the formation of heterophilous ties. Network size and diversity are conceptualized as outcomes of optimistic functioning, which is marked by sociability, positive emotion, and problem-focused coping. I find that optimism is linked to substantial leverage in overall, non-kin, and extended network sizes on par with several years of education. Moreover, optimism yields more types of network heterophily than does educational attainment. I discuss limitations of the current study while also identifying future directions for research on emotional capital in the creation of social capital.

The role of child optimism as a mediator and moderator in the relationship between interparental conflict and child adjustment was examined for 36 children between the ages of 9 and 12 years who resided in a two adult home. Child participants completed self-report measures of dispositional and attributional optimism, as well as a self-report measure of interparental conflict. Mothers of child participants completed measures of child internalizing and externalizing symptoms. Multiple regression analyses found that dispositional optimism mediated the relationship between interparental conflict and both child internalizing and externalizing symptoms. Attributional optimism was found to mediate the relationship between interparental conflict and child internalizing symptoms. No significant moderating effects of optimism were found. The relationships between optimism and child appraisals of threat and self-blame related to interparental conflict were examined using correlations. Both dispositional and attributional optimism were significantly negatively related to child appraisals of threat and self-blame regarding interparental conflict. Implications and suggestions for future research are discussed.

This study examined work-family conflict as a predictor of burnout as well as the moderating role that optimism and pessimism may have had on this relationship. Participants were call centre employees from a financial institution in Cape Town (N = 94). Cross-sectional data was collected via electronic self-report questionnaires. Exploratory factor analysis demonstrated the unidimensionality of work-to-family conflict despite the two-dimensional model that was expected. Bivariate regression analysis showed that work-to-family conflict explained a significant proportion of the variance in both dimensions of burnout – emotional exhaustion and cynicism. Contrary to what was expected, the results of the moderation analyses were not significant. Optimism and pessimism did not moderate the relationship between work-to-family conflict and burnout. The results show that work-to-family conflict negatively affects call centre employees' well-being. The results are discussed and implications for management and suggestions for future research are presented.

No description available.