Is the Glass Half‐Full or Half‐Empty? The Relationship of Big and Little Optimism With Acute and Longer Term Exercise‐Related Social Cognitions

Abstract

Big optimism reflects generalized expectations about longer term positive outcomes. Little optimism reflects specific expectations about acute positive outcomes. This study examined the relationships among big optimism, little optimism, and acute (decisional struggle, coping self‐efficacy) and longer term exercise‐related social cognitions (scheduling self‐efficacy, intention). Participants were 85 fitness‐setting exercisers. Measures were obtained concurrently. Regression analyses indicated that, as expected, big optimism predicted the longer term social cognitions and little optimism predicted struggle. Big optimism also predicted coping self‐efficacy and modestly predicted struggle. A multivariate analysis of variance (MANOVA) indicated that, as expected, big optimists differed from big pessimists on the longer term social cognitions. Groups also differed on coping self‐efficacy. A second MANOVA indicated that, as expected, little optimists differed from little pessimists on the acute social cognitions.

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