Final answer:
Optimists typically respond to failure by maintaining optimism, attributing failure to external and changeable factors, and using the experience to take action and learn. They do not respond by viewing the failure as a permanent reflection of their inadequacies, which is a pessimistic attribution style.
Step-by-step explanation:
When optimists experience failure, they typically respond in various constructive ways. They may remain optimistic, believing that future endeavors will be successful despite current setbacks. They are likely to make external, unstable, and specific attributions for the failure, meaning they see the failure as due to outside circumstances that can change and do not reflect on their capabilities as a whole. Optimists are known for their resilience, taking action, trying alternatives, reimagining the future, and learning from their experiences to improve and move forward. Therefore, the way that optimists do not typically respond to failure is by using stable and global attributions, which would suggest that the negative outcome is a permanent and unchangeable reflection of their own personal inadequacies affecting all aspects of their lives. This type of response is more characteristic of pessimists, who may feel hopeless and are more prone to developing symptoms of depression when faced with failure.