Both discounting and optimism can induce impatient behavior in the present. This paper derives equivalences between classes of discount functions and classes of (possibly erroneous) sets of beliefs in a standard intertemporal choice context. We find that strong assumptions about beliefs are generically necessary for identification of the discount function.

The relationship between optimism, abstinence self-efficacy, and self-mastery was examined by investigating levels of these cognitive resources among two samples of recovering substance abusers: Oxford House residents who attended twelve-step groups and twelve-step members who had never lived in an Oxford House. Participants 'levels of optimism were significantly and positively related to both ...

C perplexes the world. The country’s rapid rise to global economic power poses an important set of questions regarding how one should perceive the transformation of the international system in light of this epochal change: —Is China on track to become a new superpower? If so, how will this transform the global economic and political landscape? —Will this ongoing power shift be comparable in sca...

While both sleep and optimism have been found to be predictive of well-being, few studies have examined their relationship with each other. Neither do we know much about the mediators and moderators of the relationship. This study investigated (1) the causal relationship between sleep quality and optimism in a college student sample, (2) the role of symptoms of depression, anxiety, and stress a...

a r t i c l e i n f o Optimism and pessimism are cognitive expectancies regarding future events, whereas counterfactual thinking is the cognitive process of imagining alternatives to events that occurred in the past. The purpose of this study was to conceptualize dispositional optimism and pessimism within the context of norm theory and examine relationships between dispositional optimism and p...

Growing evidence has linked positive psychological attributes like optimism to a lower risk of poor health outcomes, especially cardiovascular disease. It has been demonstrated in randomized trials that optimism can be learned. If associations between optimism and broader health outcomes are established, it may lead to novel interventions that improve public health and longevity. In the present...

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE Although higher optimism has been linked to an array of positive health outcomes, the association between optimism and incidence of stroke remains unclear, especially among older adults. We examined whether higher optimism was associated with a lower incidence of stroke. METHOD Prospective data from the Health and Retirement Study--a nationally representative panel stud...