Abstract

Validation of Scheier and Carver's (1985) Life Orientation Test (LOT) has identified associations between bipolar optimism and several external constructs. However, optimism and pessimism may be not bipolar, but rather separate constructs. Furthermore, these constructs may be indistinguishable from personality traits, such as neuroticism and extraversion. This study examined the associations of separate optimism and pessimism measures with self-reports of hassles, psychological symptoms, and illness severity, controlling for personality. Ss were 1,192 men from the Normative Aging Study. Findings suggest that optimism and pessimism are separate and that their relations to external criteria remain, although attenuated, when neuroticism and extraversion are controlled.

Keywords

PessimismOptimismNeuroticismExtraversion and introversionPsychologyNormativePersonalityConstruct (python library)Big Five personality traitsClinical psychologySocial psychologyDevelopmental psychology

MeSH Terms

Age FactorsAgedAgingEmotionsExtraversionPsychologicalHumansMaleMiddle AgedNeurotic DisordersPersonality

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Publication Info

Year
1993
Type
article
Volume
12
Issue
5
Pages
406-409
Citations
187
Access
Closed

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Cite This

Daniel K. Mroczek, Avron Spiro, Carolyn M. Aldwin et al. (1993). Construct validation of optimism and pessimism in older men: Findings from the normative aging study.. Health Psychology , 12 (5) , 406-409. https://doi.org/10.1037/0278-6133.12.5.406

Identifiers

DOI
10.1037/0278-6133.12.5.406
PMID
8223365

Data Quality

Data completeness: 81%