The relationship among positive emotional dispositions, career adaptability, and satisfaction in Italian high school students ☆ Kerrie G. Wilkins a, ⁎, Sara Santilli b , Lea Ferrari b , Laura Nota b , Terence J.G. Tracey a , Salvatore Soresi b a Counseling and Counseling Psychology Department Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ 85285, USA b Department of Philosophy, Sociology, Education and Applied Psychology, Padua, Italy article info abstract Article history: Received 7 July 2014 Available online 13 August 2014 Using a sample of 242 Italian high school students, we examined the direct relation of hope and optimism on four dimensions of career adaptability (i.e. curiosity, confidence, control, and concern) as well as the mediating effect of these four adaptability dimensions on the relations of hope and optimism on the subcomponents of satisfaction. The results of the study demonstrat- ed that both hope and optimism significantly predicted various dimensions of career adaptability. Additionally, the degree to which hope related to students' subcomponents of satisfaction was mediated by two of the four dimensions of career adaptability (i.e. curiosity and confidence). The dimensions of adaptability did not mediate the relations of optimism on satisfaction. These findings have implications for both research and practice. © 2014 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. Keywords: Career adaptability Hope Optimism Satisfaction High school 1. Introduction Research with adolescents has demonstrated that satisfaction (e.g. life, school, and relationship) is a significant predictor of positive outcomes in a variety of life domains. Adolescents with high life satisfaction show superior physical health, enhanced social relationships, and increased academic engagement and achievement (Lewis, Huebner, Malone, & Valois, 2011; Salmela-Aro & Tuominen-Soini, 2010; Suldo, Huebner, Savage, & Thalji, 2011; Suldo & Shaffer, 2008; Suldo, Thalji, & Ferron, 2011). Similarly, academic satisfaction is related to academic performance at the secondary level and predicts student engagement and subsequent academic progress (Huebner & Gilman, 2006; Huebner & McCullough, 2000; Verkuyten & Thijs, 2002). Despite the importance of satisfaction in promoting positive outcomes, there has been relatively little research that explores the influential factors on satisfaction, especially with regard to the predictive capability of positive emotional dispositions and adaptabil- ity. Recent findings indicate that variables such as hope, optimism, and career adaptability serve as important predictors of satisfaction (Hirschi, 2009; McIlveen, Beccaria, & Burton, 2013). Given the important outcomes that result from experiencing satisfaction, more research is needed to investigate the factors that promote such satisfaction. To this end, the current study was designed to examine the relations of optimism, hope, and adaptability on satisfaction. 1.1. Positive emotional dispositions and satisfaction Both hope and optimism, two separate but related constructs, have garnered a considerable amount of research attention in predicting life satisfaction. Though both constructs represent relatively stable general expectations about the future, they differ in Journal of Vocational Behavior 85 (2014) 329–338 ☆ A preliminary version of this paper was presented at the 2014 Society of Vocational Psychology Conference in Coimbra, Portugal. ⁎ Corresponding author at: Counseling and Counseling Psychology Department, Arizona State University, 302 Payne Hall, MC 0611, Tempe, AZ 85287-0611, USA. E-mail address: kgwilkin@asu.edu (K.G. Wilkins). http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.jvb.2014.08.004 0001-8791/© 2014 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. Contents lists available at ScienceDirect Journal of Vocational Behavior journal homepage: www.elsevier.com/locate/jvb