They see the wallet half full.
The power of positivity might seem like hocus pocus, but having an optimistic outlook could literally benefit one’s bank account, according to a sunny study published in the Journal of Personality and Social Psychology.
Per the research, conducted by scientists from the University of Colorado Boulder and the University of New Hampshire, positive people on average saved 16.9% more than their more pessimistic counterparts, the American Psychological Association reported.
These results dispelled popular misconceptions that optimistic people save less because they assume everything will work out financially.
“We often think of optimism as rose-colored glasses that might lead people to save less for the future,” said the study’s lead author, Joe Gladstone, Ph.D., from the University of Colorado Boulder, in a statement.
“But our research suggests optimism may actually be an important psychological resource that helps people save, especially when facing economic hardship.”
To deduce the impact of a positive attitude on one’s bank account, researchers analyzed data from eight large population surveys spanning the US, the UK and 14 European countries. The pool comprised 140,000 total participants ranging from young adults to retirees.
They reportedly rated their level of optimism based on how they responded to statements such as “I am always optimistic about my future” and “Overall, I expect more good things to happen to me than bad.”
Respondents were also asked to report their income, savings and even total assets.
Researchers found that, on average, those with sunny dispositions saved more than their less positive brethren by a substantial factor.
For example, if someone saved $62,410, their optimistic attitude correlated to an extra $10,547 saved compared to their negative Nancy counterparts.
Best of all, this rule held true across different countries, ages, genders, employment statuses and other factors — suggesting a strong correlation between a positive outlook and staying afloat financially.
Furthermore, researchers found that the financial effect of “optimism was similar to what previous research has found for conscientiousness, a personality trait that’s widely recognized for its positive influence on financial outcomes,” Gladstone said.
“Optimism also appears to exert a slightly stronger influence on savings behavior than financial literacy and risk tolerance.”
The benefit of positivity on conserving cabbage was most pronounced among lower-income brackets. Gladstone attributed this phenomenon to the fact that higher-income individuals have more ways to save, including mortgage payments, retirement contributions and, most notably, higher earnings that make it easier not to shell out dough.
Of course, there were some caveats to this so-called theory that people can convert a carpe diem disposition to cash.
“For someone living paycheck to paycheck, saving can feel futile,” Gladstone noted. “But an optimistic outlook may provide the motivation to set aside money despite present challenges.”
He added, “A mindset of hope for the future, paired with the skills to manage money wisely, may be key to helping more people build financial security.”
