The Power of Negative Thinking

I read this headline from the L.A. Times and thought, That's a cruel joke on the pessimists. Those who think life is rotten will get the most of it.
But the use of the word is misleading. Pessimism here means cautious, or wearily conservative, like the defunct stereotype of a banker. They don't mean philosophical pessimism, which views the universe as a malignant turd.
I'd like to see a study on that.