This tendency is characteristic of a depressive attributional, or pessimistic explanatory style.

He stretched himself once more before the fire and continued talking in his expansive, radiantly explanatory style.

Young adults and middle-aged parents with a pessimistic explanatory style are often more likely to suffer from depression.

Some research has linked a pessimistic explanatory style to depression and physical illness.

Researchers are not sure just why explanatory style should affect health.

"Those agents with an optimistic explanatory style weather the challenges better."

Using a modified version of the test, researchers have found differences in explanatory style among children as young as third grade.

There is much debate about the relationship between explanatory style and optimism.

Some researchers argue that there is not much difference at all; optimism is just the lay term for what scientists call explanatory style.

Others argue that explanatory style is exclusive to its concept and should not be interchangeable with optimism.