Accentuate the positive: effects of dispositional optimism, personality traits and positive metacognitions & meta-emotions on life satisfaction

The present study describes a cross-sectional questionnaire-based survey aimed at investigating the extent to which adaptive metacognitive constructs, personality traits and dispositional optimism and pessimism predict life satisfaction. A mixed sample of 131 worker and student participants completed the Satisfaction with Life Scale (LS), the three subscales comprising Positive Metacognitions and Meta-Emotions Questionnaire (PMCEQ), the optimism and pessimism assessing Life Orientation Test (LOT) and the six-factor HEXACO-PI-R personality inventory. A significant multiple linear regression model emerged which accounted for 28% in the variance of life satisfaction. Three significant predictors of life satisfaction emerged: (a) extraversion, (b) PMCEQ Factor 3 (confidence in setting flexible and feasible hierarchies of goals) and (c) dispositional pessimism. Interestingly, only one of the six personality traits, extraversion, and one of the three metacognitive confidence constructs, formulation of attainable and flexible goal hierarchies, positively predicted life satisfaction. Optimism did not contribute to life satisfaction, whereas pessimism negatively predicted life satisfaction. Implications of the findings for theory, research and potential treatment applications are discussed