Can high optimism and high pessimism co-exist? Findings from arthritis patients coping with pain

Data from 120 elderly osteoarthritis patients showed that dispositional optimism and pessimism interacted in their associations with the frequency of use of pain-coping strategies: participants higher on both dispositions reported more intense coping. Controlling for age, pain level, history of prior serious disease, or negative and positive affectivity did not affect the results. Possible explanations for the co-existence of high optimism and pessimism under certain conditions are proposed.