People may avoid socializing with pessimists

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People may avoid socializing with pessimists

By Alison McCook

NEW YORK, Apr 25 (Reuters Health) - Most people prefer to look on the

bright side of life, and new research suggests that such people may try

to maintain that viewpoint by steering clear of their pessimistic peers.

In the study, those viewed as pessimistic by a group of college students

were rated as less desirable as study partners, campus party companions

or sports teammates.

The researchers suggest that people may avoid pessimists because they

assume that their negative outlook on life means that they are generally

hopeless, sad and depressed.

Lead author Dr. Marie Helweg-Larsen of Transylvania University in

Lexington, Kentucky, pointed out that Americans may like people who have

optimistic, upbeat attitudes because they fit the cultural ideal of a

" healthy person. " Alternatively, perhaps optimistic people avoid those

who are depressed out of fear that their negative attitude will make

them feel uncomfortable or sad.

Pessimistic people, by definition, assume that bad things are more

likely to happen to them than to others. In this report, the researchers

presented findings from two studies that demonstrate people tend to

socially reject those who they think are pessimistic.

In one study, participants read scenarios about people discussing their

chances of unhappy life events, such as developing heart disease or

acquiring a sexually transmitted disease. Readers later rated whether

they would like to meet and spend time with the person they read about.

Overall, participants said they would prefer spending time with the

optimistic character, possibly because the pessimistic person was likely

to be less happy.

In another study, participants listened to interviews with optimistic

and pessimistic people. In some cases, the participants were told the

person was mentally stable and not depressed while in others they were

given no extra information.

Participants who were told a pessimistic person was happy and

well-adjusted did not socially reject the pessimist. However, if they

were not told anything about the pessimist, the study participants

tended to rate the person as someone they would not like to spend time

with.

" Thus it seems that it was the presumption of depression that led to the

social rejection, " Helweg-Larsen told Reuters Health.

She added that these results may help explain why most people are

optimistic, as they may adopt an upbeat attitude to avoid the social

stigma that comes with a negative outlook. The researcher noted that

talking to pessimistic people about their attitude may not necessarily

improve their social lives.

" We don't know if it might help to inform people. Very often 'telling

people' does not seem to work very well in terms of changing their

behavior--just look at the lack of success in health

prevention/interventions in general, " she said.

SOURCE: Journal of Social and Clinical Psychology 2002;21:92-107.