TY - JOUR
T1 - Optimism and pessimism dimensions in the Life Orientation Test-Revised
T2 - Method and meaning
AU - Segerstrom, Suzanne C.
AU - Evans, Daniel R.
AU - Eisenlohr-Moul, Tory A.
PY - 2011/2
Y1 - 2011/2
N2 - The Life Orientation Test and its revision include items tapping both the belief that good things will happen (optimism) and the belief that bad things will not happen (low pessimism). The present investigation addressed the relationship of optimism and pessimism from psychometric and substantive perspectives. Two variations of the LOT-R, one with standard items and one with extreme adverbs (e.g., " always") removed, were administered to undergraduate (n= 971) and web-based samples (n= 2806). Although there was psychometric support for a bidimensional structure in both versions, only the revised version showed substantive differences in the correlations of optimism versus pessimism with personality criteria. The generic recommendation is to use the original, unidimensional scale.
AB - The Life Orientation Test and its revision include items tapping both the belief that good things will happen (optimism) and the belief that bad things will not happen (low pessimism). The present investigation addressed the relationship of optimism and pessimism from psychometric and substantive perspectives. Two variations of the LOT-R, one with standard items and one with extreme adverbs (e.g., " always") removed, were administered to undergraduate (n= 971) and web-based samples (n= 2806). Although there was psychometric support for a bidimensional structure in both versions, only the revised version showed substantive differences in the correlations of optimism versus pessimism with personality criteria. The generic recommendation is to use the original, unidimensional scale.
KW - Agreeableness
KW - Conscientiousness
KW - Dimensions
KW - Extraversion
KW - Life Orientation Test
KW - Neuroticism
KW - Optimism
KW - Pessimism
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=79751537307&partnerID=8YFLogxK
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U2 - 10.1016/j.jrp.2010.11.007
DO - 10.1016/j.jrp.2010.11.007
M3 - Article
AN - SCOPUS:79751537307
SN - 0092-6566
VL - 45
SP - 126
EP - 129
JO - Journal of Research in Personality
JF - Journal of Research in Personality
IS - 1
ER -