Socioeconomic disparities in optimism and pessimism among children and adolescents: Does age matter?

Socioeconomic status (SES) exhibits graded relationships with psychological resources. Dispositional optimism, a crucial psychological asset, encompasses both optimism and pessimism, two related but separated facets considered to be asymmetric in susceptibility to the impact of SES in adults. Little research has explored (a) the effects of SES disparities on both facets of dispositional optimism in children and adolescents and (b) and whether the effects of SES on these facets change with age on the basis of measurement invariance testing. Addressing these gaps, the present study investigated the associations between SES and optimism and pessimism, and whether these relationships change with age in children and adolescents. A sample of 4730 Chinese participants (ages 9–19) from diverse SES backgrounds completed assessments of family SES, optimism, and pessimism. Analyses revealed a positive SES gradient with optimism and a negative gradient with pessimism. While the SES-optimism link was consistent across ages, the SES-pessimism correlation strengthened with age, suggesting a developmental shift in SES's psychological impact. Our findings shed light on the nuanced and complex ways in which SES intersects with optimism and pessimism during critical developmental periods—potentially guiding more targeted interventions aimed at the stimulation of positive changes in both optimism and pessimism.