HELSINKI, Finland, July 18 (UPI) -- University of Helsinki scientists say they've found a correlation between adult pessimism and childhood in a low socioeconomic status family.
The researchers say that by connecting socioeconomic status with pessimism -- which previously has been shown to be related with physical and mental health -- the current study provides critical information for policy makers and parents concerned with preventing development of less adaptive coping strategies of children.
Researchers compared optimism and pessimism levels of participants from different socioeconomic backgrounds and found people of higher socioeconomic status had a more optimistic outlook on life. It also found the effect of childhood socioeconomic status on pessimism tended to remain in spite of socioeconomic fluidity.
"Children (of a higher SES) who are subsequently downwardly mobile may have learned successful coping strategies during childhood and, consequently, developed a sense of mastery and control that protected them in adulthood from the adverse effects of lower SES," said the study's lead author Kati Heinonen. Whereas children from lower social backgrounds who are subsequently upwardly mobile may not have developed such psychological resources and are not able to benefit as much from their later success experiences.
The study appears in the Journal of Personality.
