The Original Odd Couple - Queendom.com Releases Results Of Their Research on Optimists and Pessimists

Queendom.com takes a peak through rose-colored glasses and half-empty cups to uncover how pessimists and optimists view themselves and the world around them.

MONTREAL, CANADA (MARKETWIRE) -- February 18, 2012

Queendom.com, a pioneer in online personality, career, IQ and relationship assessments has released its latest research on advantages and disadvantages of having an optimistic vs. pessimistic outlook. Queendom's study reveals that while optimists may not always be sufficiently cautious, they do tend to be more satisfied with their life, their relationships, and their health.

There are some benefits to having a more cynical view of life. As Pulitzer-Prize winner George F. Will put it, "The nice part about being a pessimist is that you are constantly being either proven right or pleasantly surprised." Research by Gibson and Sanbonmatsu (2004) suggests that pessimists may be better gamblers, as optimists are more likely to keep trying to win despite losses, while their more negative counterparts will cut their losses and walk away. Moreover, Dr. Julie Norem, in her book The Positive Power of Negative Thinking highlights the benefits of "defensive pessimism" in contrast to "hopeless pessimism." People who practice the former will anticipate all the things that can go wrong in their pursuit of a goal, but will still move forward with a certain degree of confidence once they feel they have sufficiently prepared and planned for potential obstacles. It is the latter type of pessimism that is more likely to be linked to depression. But before pessimists offer a sarcastically laced "I told you so," there are several benefits to an optimistic attitude that cannot be ignored.

With a sample of over 16,000 people from all walks of life, Queendom uncovered several advantages to a more optimistic attitude. Optimistic people are more satisfied with their relationships, both in their personal life and at work, are more comfortable taking risks, and tend to rate their health better than pessimists. Optimists are also better able to cope with stressful situations, and are more confident during a crisis, fully believing that they'll get through it. Queendom's research also reveals that test-takers who admitted to being diagnosed with depression tended to score significantly lower than those who have not been diagnosed on traits related to optimism, such as hopefulness and sense of belonging.

Gender comparisons reveal that women have a stronger sense of belonging (social and emotional support from others) than men (score of 66 for women, 62 for men, on a scale from 0 to 100), and were also slightly less cynical (40 for women, 43 for men). Age comparisons indicate that optimism increases with age, as does hopefulness, sense of belonging, and the ability to cope with stress. Interestingly, cynicism actually decreases with age, perhaps putting to rest the stereotype of older people being grumpy, as characterized by films like "Grumpy Old Men", or iconic Dicken's character Ebenezer Scrooge.

"There's no doubt that optimism can have a positive impact on our lives - psychologists like Martin Seligman have dedicated decades of research to what is known today as 'Positive Psychology'," points out Dr. Ilona Jerabek, the president of the company. "However, it's important for people to truly understand what we refer to when we say 'optimism.' It's not a state of walking on the clouds, ignoring all the bad things in life. Healthy optimists are those who accept their weaknesses and strengths, building on the latter and developing the former. They choose to be hopeful for the future, and even if things do not turn out as expected; they try to find the lesson to be learned and move on. It's the extreme optimists, who believe that nothing can go wrong - and are thus not fully prepared for what does go wrong - that sometimes end up with a rude awakening."

Queendom did find people who possessed this sense of "invincibility," with 63% of them being younger than 25. These extreme optimists are characterized as very confident, resilient against stress, and rated themselves as being in good physical health. The downside: analyses also reveal that only 27% of the people in this group wear a seatbelt when in a car, compared to 69% for the rest of Queendom's sample.

"Clearly, a positive attitude with a healthy dose of common sense is the ideal - and with an overall optimism score of 58 for our 16,000+ sample, we can confidently theorize that most people seem to grasp this need for balance," concludes Dr. Jerabek.

Queendom research data also reveals that:

• 69% of optimists compared to 20% of pessimists try to find the good in even the most disagreeable people.
• 84% of optimists compared to 12% of pessimists try to find the silver lining in difficult situations.
• 11% of optimists compared to 82% of pessimists feel lonely - but despite this, only 23% of pessimists compared to 79% of optimists actively keep in touch with friends and family.
• 38% of optimists compared to 74% of pessimists keep their problems to themselves.
• 86% of optimists compared to 25% of pessimists refuse to give up no matter how tough life gets.
• 81% of optimists compared to 47% of pessimists believe that good lessons can be learned from failure.
• 8% of optimists compared to 51% of pessimists believe that there's no point in maintaining friendships because nothing lasts forever.
• 8% of optimists compared to 65% of pessimists believe that some people are simply doomed to live an unhappy life, and cannot change this fate.
• 21% of optimists compared to 78% of pessimists believe that most people cannot be trusted.
• 78% of optimists compared to 26% of pessimists believe that if given the choice, most people would choose to do good rather than evil.
• 19% of optimists compared to 46% of pessimists believe that almost everyone lies on their tax returns

Those who wish to take the Happiness Test can go to: can go to:
https://www.queendom.com/tests/access_page/index.htm?idRegTest=709

About Queendom.com
Queendom.com is a subsidiary of PsychTests AIM Inc. Queendom.com is a site that creates an interactive venue for self-exploration with a healthy dose of fun. The site offers a full range of professional-quality, scientifically-validated psychological assessments that empower people to grow and reach their real potential through insightful feedback and detailed, custom-tailored analysis.

About Psychtests AIM Inc.
PsychTests AIM Inc. originally appeared on the internet scene in 1996. Since its inception, it has become a pre-eminent provider of psychological assessment products and services to human resource personnel, therapists, academics, researchers and a host of other professionals around the world. PsychTests AIM Inc. staff is comprised of a dedicated team of psychologists, test developers, researchers, statisticians, writers, and artificial intelligence experts. The company's research division, Plumeus Inc., is supported in part by Research and Development Tax Credit awarded by Industry Canada.

Contact:
Psychtests AIM Inc.
Ilona Jerabek, Ph.D., President
Tel: 1-888-855-6975
http://testyourself.psychtests.com/
ilona@psychtests.com