Document Type

Conference Proceeding

Publication Date

4-21-2023

Abstract

Many college students experience stress; optimism and resilience may help students cope with it. Optimism is a person’s positive outlook on their circumstances and their future, whereas resilience is a persons ability to adapt and
overcome challenges throughout their life. In this study, we compared the two to see which one would be a better predictor of stress. First year students (N =355) at a public regional university completed an online study that measure their perceive stress, optimism, and resilience. Bivariate correlations showed that resilience and optimism were both negatively correlated with all four sub-scales of students stress. Linear regression showed that resilience was a better predictor of stress than optimism for two types of, but optimism was a better predictor of the other two
types of stress. These findings offer nuanced knowledge about the relationship between stress, resilience, and optimism.

Included in

Psychology Commons

COinS