Which of the following individuals is demonstrating an optimistic outlook on life?

• A. Maria, who believes that setbacks are temporary and expects good things to happen in the future.
• B. James, who assumes that if something can go wrong, it probably will, and rarely expects positive outcomes.
• C. Lila, who tends to focus on past mistakes and worries that things will not improve.
• D. Ethan, who avoids making plans because he doubts that his efforts will lead to success.

Answer: (A)

Verified step by step guidance

1. Step 1: Understand the concept of optimism in psychology. Optimism refers to a general expectation that good things will happen in the future and that setbacks are temporary and manageable.
2. Step 2: Analyze each individual's outlook based on their beliefs and attitudes toward future events and setbacks.
3. Step 3: Identify Maria's perspective: she believes setbacks are temporary and expects positive outcomes, which aligns with the definition of optimism.
4. Step 4: Contrast this with James, Lila, and Ethan, who demonstrate pessimistic or negative outlooks by expecting failure, focusing on past mistakes, or doubting success.
5. Step 5: Conclude that the individual demonstrating an optimistic outlook is the one who expects good things to happen and views setbacks as temporary, which is Maria.