Optimism as a Resource and Form of Manifesting Positive Affectiveness in the Elderly and Young Adults Pre-Pandemic vs Pandemic – Comparative Study

Abstract

Introduction: The present study represents a meta-analysis carried out using the term optimism as a form of manifestation of positive affectivity from a double perspective, namely: reporting to two periods, pre-pandemic and pandemic and to two age categories, young adults and old people. Two types of psychological intervention factors were analyzed in the mentioned categories, in the pre-pandemic period, namely, a period of financial stability vs pre-pandemic financial instability, respectively, the spectrum of the pandemic generating anxiety, illness and death as markers of emotional balance. The meta-analysis indirectly quantified the interest in scientific research regarding optimism as a psychological resource, through the number of published articles related to this psychological variable. Material and method: The study is a comparative and cross-sectional meta-analysis of articles published in the PubMed database during 2008-2011, 2016-2019 and 2020-2023. Data processing was carried out using the Microsoft Excel application. Results: The comparative analysis between young people and the elderly ones regarding the studies published in the period 2008-2011 with the psychological variable "optimism" in their study shows a 15.65 times higher number of studies in terms of articles about seniors. Also, the comparative analysis of the number of studies published in the period 2008-2023 for the two age categories is clearly in favor of the elderly, the ratio being 1 to 12.8. It is possible that this fact is due to the greater addressability of the health systems of the elderly. The comparative analysis led to the conclusion that optimism as a form of manifestation of positive affectivity was studied more frequently in the third age patients being considered an important resource for them due to its attenuation with advancing age and by diminishing personal resources as a consequence of cognitive impairment and emotional lability. In young people, optimism is a psychological component present in a greater proportion and constitutes the premises of ecological emotional and cognitive manifestations. Conclusions: The meta-analysis revealed differences regarding research interest related to optimism as a manifestation of positive affectivity in relation to the periods studied and to the mentioned age categories. In relation to optimism per se, it represents an important resource at any age and it is dependent on a series of factors that are related to the period of life but also to the situational context, without discussing the personality type of the individual and a series of co-factors (transgenerational, educational, cultural, geographical, etc.).