When Is Optimism Helpful for Older Adult’s Physical Activity? the Role of Perceived Control

We examined whether optimism protects physical activity (PA) in older adulthood. In 268 older adults (ages 60–93) followed for 4 years, multilevel models tested interactions with perceived control. Optimism buffered PA decline when control was high; with low control, optimism predicted steeper decreases, suggesting optimism is not always adaptive.