Abstract
Research on dispositional optimism as assessed by the Life Orientation Test (Scheier & Carver, 1985) has been challenged on the grounds that effects attributed to optimism are indistinguishable from those of unmeasured third variables, most notably, neuroticism. Data from 4,309 subjects show that associations between optimism and both depression and aspects of coping remain significant even when the effects of neuroticism, as well as the effects of trait anxiety, self-mastery, and self-esteem, are statistically controlled. Thus, the Life Orientation Test does appear to possess adequate predictive and discriminant validity. Examination of the scale on somewhat different grounds, however, does suggest that future applications can benefit from its revision. Thus, we also describe a minor modification to the Life Orientation Test, along with data bearing on the revised scale's psychometric properties.
Keywords
PsychologyOptimismNeuroticismDiscriminant validityTraitPersonalityCoping (psychology)AnxietyClinical psychologyPsychometricsTest (biology)Social psychologyDevelopmental psychologyPsychiatry
MeSH Terms
AdaptationPsychologicalAnxietyFemaleHumansMaleSelf ConceptSelf-Assessment
Affiliated Institutions
Related Publications
Economic Strains and the Coping Function of Alcohol
Some of the social and psychological antecedents of the use of alcohol to control emotional distress are examined. Interconnections are shown to exist among economic hardship, a...
The stress process.
This study uses longitudinal data to observe how life events, chronic life strains, self concepts, coping, and social supports come together to form a process of stress. It take...
Optimism, coping, and health: Assessment and implications of generalized outcome expectancies.
This article describes a scale measuring dispositional optimism, defined in terms of generalized outcome expectancies. Two preliminary studies assessed the scale's psychometric ...
Self‐Presentational Motivations and Personality Differences in Self‐Esteem
ABSTRACT This article discusses the interpersonal motivations associated with different levels of self‐esteem. Although self‐esteem literally refers to an intrapsychic attitude,...
The Cognitive Failures Questionnaire (CFQ) and its correlates
This paper describes a questionnaire measure of self‐reported failures in perception, memory, and motor function. Responses to all questions tend to be positively correlated, an...
Publication Info
- Year
- 1994
- Type
- article
- Volume
- 67
- Issue
- 6
- Pages
- 1063-1078
- Citations
- 5697
- Access
- Closed
External Links
Social Impact
Altmetric
PlumX Metrics
Social media, news, blog, policy document mentions
Citation Metrics
5697
OpenAlex
637
Influential
4782
CrossRef
Cite This
Michael F. Scheier,
Charles S. Carver,
Michael W. Bridges
(1994).
Distinguishing optimism from neuroticism (and trait anxiety, self-mastery, and self-esteem): A reevaluation of the Life Orientation Test..
Journal of Personality and Social Psychology
, 67
(6)
, 1063-1078.
https://doi.org/10.1037//0022-3514.67.6.1063
Identifiers
- DOI
- 10.1037//0022-3514.67.6.1063
- PMID
- 7815302