Norem, J. K., & Chang, E. C. (2001). A very full glass: Adding complexity to our thinking about the implications and applications of optimism and pessimism research. In E. C. Chang (Ed.), Optimism & pessimism: Implications for theory, research, and practice (pp. 347-367). Washington, DC, US: American Psychological Association.
http://dx.doi.org/10.1037/10385-016
Reviews some complexities that suggest that there are potential benefits and costs to both optimism and pessimism that might be highly sensitive to context, and thus research designs, interpretations of results, advocacy, interventions, and teaching need to be sensitive to costs, benefits, and context. The types of context considered that have implications for optimism and pessimism include: the specific kind of optimism or pessimism under scrutiny; the other personality characteristics of individuals who are optimistic or pessimistic (i.e., the intrapsychic context); the particular outcome variables considered; the interpersonal and social contexts within a culture; the life-span developmental context; and the larger cultural context. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2016 APA, all rights reserved)