Review of Related Literature

Singh S., Mishtra S. (2014). Optimism – pessimism among adolescents – a gender-based

study. Department of Human Development & Family Studies, School for Home Sciences

Babasaheb Bhimrao Ambedkar University (A Central University). Lucknow – 226025, Uttar

Pradesh, India. Retrieved on August 11, 2018 from

https://www.researchgate.net/publication/264464409_Optimism_-

_Pessimism_among_Adolescents_-_A_Gender_Based_Study

The study indicates that optimism and pessimism are two different outlooks on life that

influence the way a person deals with most situations and your expectations of the world.

Optimism is defined as being confident about the future or successful outcome of

something. Pessimism, on the other hand is a state of mind in which a person expects negative

outcomes.

There are some advantages to optimism like it seems to make people feel

better about life. But there are also advantages for pessimism in that thinking the worst helps

some pessimists cope better with the world.

The conclusion showed that males and females respondents were predominantly

optimistic and very optimistic respectively. Fortunately, very few of them reported pessimistic &

very pessimistic. Thus, gender of the respondents did not seem to influence optimistic-

pessimistic attitude of the respondents.

 The mentioned research study relates on our research project because its main topic is

also about optimism and pessimism. The only difference is that this study is gender-based while

the topic of the researchers is related to students’ academic performance. This study could also

help the researchers to have more knowledge in relation to optimism and pessimism.

Fernández-González, L., González-Hernández, A. & Trianes-Torres, M.V. (2015).

Relationships between academic stress, social support, optimism-pessimism and self-esteem in

college students. Universidad de Málaga (Spain). Retrieved on August 11, 2018 from

PDFwww.investigacion-psicopedagogica.com

The research aimed to analyse how optimism, self-esteem and social support help to

predict academic stress. The respondents involved 123 college students in the third year of

psychology degree. There results showed that the emotional manifestations of stress are

predicted by optimism and pessimism while self-esteem is not.

The study has a topic that is related with the researcher’s chosen topic. Even though it

involves the identification of the effects of optimism and pessimism toward the prediction of

academic stress of college students, it is somehow connected with the effect of optimism and

pessimism toward the academic performance of secondary school students (the topic of the

researchers). The study could also contribute as the researchers’ guide when it comes to

developing their study.

 Riveiro, J.M. (2014). Optimistic and defensive-pessimist students: differences in their

academic motivation and learning strategies. Universidad Nacional de Educación a Distancia

(Spain). Retrieved on August 11, 2018 from www.cambridge.org/core/journals/spanish-journal-

of-psychology/article/optimistic-and-defensive-pessimist-students-differences-in-their-academic-

motivation-and-learning-strategies/8E81A06B8B21E5B10228B56197508E82

The main objective of this study was to identify the strategic and motivational

characteristics of learning which differentiated the student analysis identified on the basis of the

self-reported use of defensive pessimism and the generation of positive expectations.

In two studies conducted by Suárez and Fernández (2005, 2011a), two of the affective-

motivational strategies that students can use in the course of their study and learning process are

defensive pessimism and generation of positive expectations. Defensive pessimism is a strategy

that occurs when negative self-schemas are activated, but which develops a high level of effort

thereby motivating themselves to exert more effort in order to deal for these unrealistic and low

expectations. Thus, these negative expectations that are expressed are used to increase their

efforts and thus achieve good outcomes (Cantor, 1990; Norem & Cantor, 1986; Suárez &

Fernández, 2005, 2011a, 2011b).

The results indicated that the use of both strategies (generation of positive expectations

strategy and defensive pessimism strategy) correlated positively and significantly. Students

might generate positive expectations that lead to increased effort and conform to reality (based

on their previous experiences, their own characteristics as students or the characteristics of the

task they are about to do), but these positive expectations could also lead to decreased effort
because of overconfidence and a misinterpretation of reality. On the other hand, students could

also generate negative expectations that lead to increased effort (defensive pessimism), which

may also lead to decreased effort due to a feeling of giving up or to a mismatch with reality.

The study is related to the researchers’ topic because it includes identifying the level of

effort done by students with their use of defensive pessimism and the generation of positive

expectations.

Ceran, S.O. (2013). The role of hope and coping styles in optimism. Middle East

Technical University. Retrieved on August 12, 2018 from https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&so

urce=web&rct=j&url=http://etd.lib.metu.edu.tr/upload/12615999/index.pdf&ved=2ahUKEwjjtO

y3ebcAhXBUn0KHWE3BpwQFjAAegQIAhAB&usg=AOvVaw2LurGFlIXtMeQ_eDk9b8VD

The study aimed to know to what extent is optimism predicted by agency and pathways

dimensions of hope as measured by Dispositional Hope Scale and to what extent is optimism

predicted by coping strategy dimensions of active coping, planning, seeking social support for

instrumental and emotional reasons, venting, behavioral disengagement, self-distraction, positive

reframing, denial, acceptance, religion, substance use, humor and self-blame as measured by

brief COPE scale.

The results indicated that the students who are high in optimism are both mentally

motivated in their goal pursuit and also produce alternative paths in reaching their desired goals.

This study is relevant to the researchers’ topic because its results indicated that the

students who are high in optimism are both mentally motivated in their goal pursuit, which is
obviously connected to the researchers’ target to identify in the proposed study- how optimism

and pessimism affects academic performance.

Schumacher, B. (2006). Assessing the relationship between optimism and academic

success. Athabasca, Alberta. Retrieved on August 12, 2018 from

http://dtpr.lib.athabascau.ca/action/download.php?filename=mais/Schumacher_B

%20MAIS701_Apr06.pdf

This study sought to investigate the association between optimism and academic success

as a variety of different studies on optimism and school achievement have resulted in conflicting

results. The sample consisted of 48 high school students who returned consent forms and

completed a questionnaire. The questionnaire was designed to assess the level of dispositional

optimism via their perceptions of self-efficacy. Data concerning Grade Point Averages (GPAs)

was gathered from report card marks at the end of the semester.

The results showed no significant associations between grade and optimism scores. The

conflicting findings between this and other studies suggests that further research is needed to

delineate all of the factors affecting the association between optimism and school achievement

This research is related to the researchers’ topic because this paper is finding answers on

how can optimism affect the academic of a student, that is aligned in the research paper that the

researchers are going to make, they are looking for answers on the difference in academic

performance between optimist and pessimist.

 Camp, N. et al. (2016). The relationship of a course grade to hope and optimism in

nursing students’ academic success. University of Alabama Institutional Repository. Retrieved

on August 6, 2018 from https://ir.ua.edu/handle/123456789/2574

The purpose of the study was to know if there was a relationship between hope and/or

optimism and nursing student’s academic success. The results of the study will be used as a basis

for continued research to promote nursing student dropping out and success in nursing programs.

The findings indicated that: (1) There is a moderate correlation between the two predictor

variables of hope and optimism. (2) There is a weak correlation found between the independent

variables of hope and optimism and the nursing student’s final course grade in Human

Pathophysiology. (3) The finding was not consistent with previous research in relation with hope

and optimism and the relationship to academic performance. (4) The finding shows a negative

correlation between the predictor variable of optimism when combined with pessimism and the

dependent variable of final course grade in Human Pathophysiology due to the method of

recording course grades. (5) The negative correlation shows that higher levels of optimism lead

to lower numeric course grade. (6) Many studies demonstrate a significant correlation between

optimism and academic success. (7) Dispositional and academic optimism were positively

correlated with college dropping out, motivation, and academic achievement (Solberg, 2009).
 Negative correlations have been found between pessimism and academic achievement

(El-Anzi, 2005). This study is related to the researchers’ topic since its primary subject is about

the relationship between hope and optimism and nursing students’ academic success.

Tetzner, J. & Becker, M. (2017). Think positive? examining the impact of optimism on

academic achievement in early adolescents. Retrieved on November 26, 2018 from

https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/pdf/10.1111/jopy.12312

The study’s objective is to examine the relation between optimism and academic

achievement in early adolescents. It also investigated the functional form of its relation and

addressed whether the initial achievement level moderated the association and compared it with

the effects on self-esteem.

The researchers used a large German sample (53.2% were females), with two

measurement points for a period of 5 months. The results have shown that optimism had overall

positive effect on self-esteem. For the conclusions, the results expanded the evidence on benefits

of optimism by linking optimism to academic success in early adolescents but indicate only

small and nonlinear associations.

Nelson, L.M. (2012). The relationship between academic optimism and academic

achievement in middle schools in mississippi. University of Southern Mississippi. Retrieved on

November 26, 2018 from https://aquila.usm.edu/dissertations/813/

 The study aimed to know if there is a relation between teachers’ and administrators’

optimism and students’ academic achievement as well as if there is a difference between the

following: teachers’ academic optimism at elementary schools and middle schools,

administrators’ academic optimism at elementary schools and middle schools, and the academic

optimism of teachers and administrators.

The findings of the study suggest that there is a relationship between academic optimism

of teachers and the academic performance of students. It is also one of the findings that

elementary schools have higher levels of academic optimisms than middle schools.

Umoh, R. (2017). Why you should be highly optimistic if you want to be successful.

2019 CNBC LLC. Retrieved on February 1, 2019 from https://www.google.com/amp/s/

www.cnbc.com/amp/2017/10/05/why-should-you-be-highly-optimistic-if-you-want-to-be-

successful.html

In the article, there had been several statements included, stated by executives from a

consumer food company, media companies and a professor of psychology. All of them agreed

that in order of a person to be successful, he must be able to possess optimism. According to

Gabrielle Oettingen, a professor of psychology at New York University, optimism helps in

taking actions in or putting investment to something in order to achieve anything that has to be

done.
 Gopinath, G. (2017). Having optimism in life is all what you need for success. Team

BeAnInspirer. Retrieved on February 1, 2019 from https://www.beaninspireer.com/having-

optimism-in-lif-you-need-for-success/amp/

The article states that optimism is an important part of life, that when a person has it with

his efforts, the path to success is already halfway done. In addition to that, the author stated that

people who are willing to take challenges and risks with optimism are required to the world

where we are living.

Cohut, M. (2017). Can pessimism be beneficial? Healthline Media UK Ltd, Brighton,

UK. Retrieved on February 12, 2019 from https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.medicalnews

today.com/articles/amp/319899

The author cited the statement of Julie Norem, a psychology researcher at Wellesley

College in Massachusetts. According to her, there is a type of pessimism which helps a person

direct their anxiety toward productive activity. It is called defensive pessimism. This type of

pessimism helps a person plan to avoid the disaster and they end up performing better.
 Sirois, F. (2018). The surprising benefits of being a pessimist. University of Sheffield.

Retrieved on February 12, 2019 from https://www.google.com/amp/s/theconversation.com/amp/

the-surprising-benefits-of-being-a-pessimist-91851

In this article, the benefits of having defensive pessimism are being stated. One of these

benefits is that this type of pessimism helps a person boost his confidence. In addition to that, the

author also stated that in a study, those who have defensive pessimism had higher levels of self-

esteem than the other anxious students and that their self-esteem were almost equal to that of

what optimists have. Lastly, these pessimists use their expectations that are negative in order to

motivate them to make solutions to feel prepared and have the ability to take control of the

outcomes.

Harpaz-Itay, Y. & Kaniel, S. (2012). Optimism versus pessimism and academic

achievement evaluation. Gifted Education International. Retrieved on October 23, 2018 from

http://shlomokaniel.com/optimism-versus-pessimism-and-academic-achievement-evaluation/

The article included the theoretical frameworks used in the study. Dispositional

Optimism Theory- positive outcome expectancy is a combination of the value of a goal and the

individual’s confidence that he/she can achieve it (Carver and Scheier, 2000); Hope Theory- The

‘agency’ is the capacity to use pathways to achieve goals while ‘pathways thinking’ is the ability
to develop routes to reach goals. When both of these components are positive, positive

expectation occurs, leading to goal achievement, otherwise, it will lead to goal abandonment.

Yatez, M. (2002). The Influence of Optimism and Pessimism on Student Achievement in

Mathematics. Australia. Retrieved on February 19, 2019 from https://eric.ed.gov/?id=EJ663518

In this article, studies students’ acknowledgement as a fundamental motivation but as

well as a motivator for their learning. They measured the optimist, pessimist and achievement in

mathematics through the sample of primary and lower secondary learners on two occasion. The

most strongly connected to success and grade level is the achievement in mathematics, the

optimism and pessimism are also significant factors. More of the pessimist view point on life that

had a lower level of achievement in mathematics over period. The gender has not significant

factor in achievement.

Ahmad Mahasneh, Zohair H. Al-Zoubi & Omar T. Batayeneh (2013). The Relationship

between Optimism-Pessimism and Personality Traits among Students in the Hashemite

University. Hashemite University. Retrieved on February 23, 2019 from

https://www.researchgate.net/publication/272726552_The_Relationship_between_Optimism-

Pessimism_and_Personality_Traits_among_Students_in_the_Hashemite_University

The article aimed to test the correlation between the optimism-pessimism and personality

traits (extraversion, self-absorption, neuroticism and emotional stability). It also intended to

classify the prevalence of optimism and pessimism in the study according to the gender,
academic specialization, grade point average and level of study. The study sample contained of

(534) students between undergraduate students registered in the Hashemite University

throughout summer semester 2010 to 2011.

Outcome of the study states that: there is a significant correlation relationship between

the optimism and introversion. The significant positive correlation between the pessimism

emotional equilibrium and pessimism emotion. Statistically significant negative connection

among pessimism and extraversion, and among pessimism and introversion. The study differ in

the commonness of optimism in the three level (high, moderate and low) was according to the

gender, range of study, level of study, and grade point average. Different relation of the three

levels is pessimism (high, moderate and low) was according to the gender, range of study, level

of study, and grade point average.