Psychological Correlates of Civilian Preparedness for Conflicts

2017 ◽  
Vol 11 (4) ◽  
pp. 451-459 ◽  
Author(s):  
Moran Bodas ◽  
Maya Siman-Tov ◽  
Shulamith Kreitler ◽  
Kobi Peleg
Keyword(s):  
Trait Anxiety ◽  
Threat Perception ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Behavioral Models ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Psychological Constructs ◽  
Life Orientation Test ◽  
Life Orientation ◽  
Ego Defenses ◽  
Low Levels

ABSTRACTObjectivesPreparedness for emergencies and disasters is imperative for public resilience. Previous studies have revealed low levels of civilian preparedness for conflicts. Classic behavioral models prove inapt in describing preparedness patterns in victimized populations chronically exposed to this threat. In an effort to expand this perspective, we hypothesized that other psychological constructs are correlated with preparedness.MethodsA cross-sectional, Internet-based study was performed in Israel in early 2016. A sociodemographically diverse sample included 385 participants, Jews and Arabs. The tools included a preparedness index, sense of preparedness questionnaire, Trait Anxiety Inventory, Life Orientation Test, Behavioral Inhibition & Activation System scales, and ego defenses.ResultsThe results suggested that optimistic and rational individuals reported significantly higher levels of preparedness, whereas those who scored highly on the trait anxiety scale and those with a tendency to use denial coping mechanisms reported significantly lower levels of preparedness.ConclusionsThe findings suggest that additional constructs, other than classic threat perception components, might play a key role in governing preparedness behavior. In particular, psychological manipulation of dispositional optimism or optimistic thinking might be effective in motivating preparedness behavior. Future research should explore such innovative ways to promoting preparedness. (Disaster Med Public Health Preparedness. 2017;11:451–459)

scholarly journals Attitudes of Teenage Mothers towards Pregnancy and Childbirth

2020 ◽  
Vol 17 (4) ◽  
pp. 1411
Author(s):  
Agnieszka Bałanda-Bałdyga ◽  
Anna Bogusława Pilewska-Kozak ◽  
Celina Łepecka-Klusek ◽  
Grażyna Stadnicka ◽  
Beata Dobrowolska
Keyword(s):  
Dispositional Optimism ◽  
Cross Sectional Study ◽  
Teenage Mothers ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Life Orientation Test ◽  
Life Orientation ◽  
Pregnancy And Childbirth ◽  
Early Motherhood ◽  
Age Attitudes ◽  
Orientation Test

The problem of early motherhood is still a serious medical and social problem in many countries around the world. The aim of this study was to analyze the attitudes of teenage mothers towards pregnancy and childbirth. A retrospective cross-sectional study was conducted with the use of an original questionnaire containing a test to measure attitudes on a five-point Likert scale and a Life Orientation Test-Revised (LOT-R) to assess dispositional optimism. The study involved 308 teenage mothers between 13 and 19 years of age. Attitudes of teenage mothers towards pregnancy and childbirth were more often positive (90.6%) than negative (9.4%). Sociodemographic features determining the attitudes of teenage mothers towards both their pregnancy and childbirth included their age, marital status, current occupation, and main source of income. The type of attitude adopted by teenage mothers towards pregnancy and childbirth was significantly related to the level of their dispositional optimism.

Cognitive Bias of Optimism and its Influence on Psychological Well-Being

1999 ◽  
Vol 84 (2) ◽  
pp. 627-636 ◽  
Author(s):  
Karl Schweizer ◽  
Alexandra Beck-Seyffer ◽  
Rainer Schneider
Keyword(s):  
Social Desirability ◽  
Trait Anxiety ◽  
Cognitive Bias ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Multiple Correlation ◽  
Psychological Well Being ◽  
Life Orientation Test ◽  
Life Orientation ◽  
The Social ◽  
Orientation Test

An investigation of the cognitive bias observed in optimism and the influence of optimism on psychological well-being was conducted. The cognitive bias was assumed to be related to the repressive style of information processing, represented by the trait scale of the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory and the Social Desirability scale. Optimism and well-being were measured by the Life Orientation Test and the Social Optimism scale as well as by the Life Satisfaction and Depression scales, respectively. These scales were applied to a sample of 200 individuals. Trait Anxiety and Social Desirability led to a high multiple correlation with the Life Orientation Test ( R = .54) and a moderate multiple correlation with the Social Optimism scale ( R = .30). Higher correlations were obtained for the expectation of a positive than of a negative future. Both the Life Orientation Test and the Social Optimism scale contributed to the high multiple correlation with psychological well-being ( R= .52).

scholarly journals Optimisme Disposisional dan Pengukurannya pada Orang Usia Lanjut

2019 ◽  
Vol 1 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Indra Yohanes Kiling ◽  
Yunita Marcelini Manafe ◽  
Beatriks Novianti Bunga
Keyword(s):  
Elderly People ◽  
Positive Impact ◽  
Dispositional Optimism ◽  
The Elderly ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Vulnerable Group ◽  
Life Orientation Test ◽  
Life Orientation ◽  
Positive Attribute ◽  
Orientation Test

The elderly as a vulnerable group of people in the community has various physical, psychological and social adversities in their life. In this age, someone who is of old age should have a positive attribute that could help the person to achieve a life with quality. Dispositional optimism is an individual’s positive attribute that could give a positive impact to elderly people. This paper reviewed theories related to dispositional optimism by reviewing existing literature. Indicators and measurement of dispositional optimism also discussed in this paper. Dispositional optimism theory was reviewed from the perspective of the initial founder of the theory and then further looked at its development in global application. Indicators of dispositional optimism were discussed to further understand the process of measurement of the concept itself. The measurement of dispositional optimism was often referred to as the Life Orientation Test scale, which was developed into various kinds of similar tests in order to use the test in other settings. The discussion in this paper hopefully could provide knowledge regarding dispositional optimism in elderly people especially future research in an Indonesian setting.

scholarly journals Association of Optimism and Perceived Stress among Young Adults

2013 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ritika Joshi ◽  
Pragya Joshi
Keyword(s):  
Young Adults ◽  
Perceived Stress ◽  
Sampling Technique ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Life Orientation Test ◽  
Life Orientation ◽  
Spss Software ◽  
And Coping ◽  
Age Range ◽  
The Relationship

Optimism is a part of positive psychology which leads to better adaptive and coping skills and reduced stress level in an individual. The aim of the present research was to study the association of optimism and perceived stress among young adults. The sample consisted of 170 young adults (79 males and 91 females) within the age range of 18 to 25 years. Purposive sampling technique was employed for collecting the data. The Perceived stress scale-10 (PSS; Cohen, Kamarack & Marmelstein, 1983) and Life Orientation Test- Revised (Scheir, Carver, & Bridges, 1994) was used for measuring perceived stress and optimism respectively. Correlation and t-test was found using IBM SPSS software. Findings suggested that optimism was negatively correlated with perceived stress. Females were found to score significantly higher on perceived stress levels than males. While the gender difference in optimism level was reported to be insignificant. Future research needs to be conducted on the relationship between gender and levels of optimism.

scholarly journals The role of job and personal resources in alleviating dentists’ emotional dissonance in dental clinics of Hyderabad: a cross sectional study

2020 ◽  
Vol 7 (7) ◽  
pp. 2672
Author(s):  
S. Vishnu Priya ◽  
M. Shakeel Anjum ◽  
G. Hariprasad ◽  
T. Sravya ◽  
T. Sai Pravalika ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Cross Sectional Study ◽  
Emotional Dissonance ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Life Orientation Test ◽  
Life Orientation ◽  
Dental Clinics ◽  
State Of Mind ◽  
Orientation Test ◽  
Item Scale

Background: ‘Emotional dissonance’ (the discrepancy between the felt and expressed emotions) could occur in dentistry due to the challenge of pacifying patients irrespective of the dentist’s state of mind and could influence their performance. The presence of certain factors could minimize this though. Our aim was to examine the role of ‘optimism’ and ‘relation with colleagues’ in buffering the effect of emotional dissonance on the performance of dentists.Methods: Emotional dissonance’ was evaluated among 390 dentists of Hyderabad using Zapf scale; ‘optimism’ using 3-items adapted from ‘The Life Orientation Test (LOT)’, ‘relation with colleagues’ assessed with a self-constructed 4-item scale and the ‘performance of a dentist’ using 6 items picked from Goodman scale. Regression analysis was done using SPSS 24, to predict the influence of ‘optimism’ and ‘relation with colleagues’ on the ‘performance’ of dentists in dissonance.Results: Emotional dissonance was found to be negatively related to dentists’ performance. ‘Optimism’ (p=0.018) and ‘relation with colleagues’ (p=0.039) significantly predicted their performance when under dissonance, but in the negative direction.Conclusions: The results necessitate the need to identify various resources to handle dissonance owing to its intensity found in the present study.

scholarly journals Anxiolytic and Antidepressant Use and Burnout: Optimism as a Mediator in Spanish Nurses

2021 ◽  
Vol 10 (24) ◽  
pp. 5741
Author(s):  
África Martos Martínez ◽  
Ana Belén Barragán Martín ◽  
José Jesús Gázquez Linares ◽  
María del Mar Molero Jurado ◽  
María del Mar Simón Márquez ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Ad Hoc ◽  
P Value ◽  
Snowball Sampling ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Life Orientation Test ◽  
Life Orientation ◽  
Personal Impact ◽  
Knowing That ◽  
The Face ◽  
Antidepressant Use

The aim of this study was to analyze the relationship between burnout, the use of drugs (anxiolytics and antidepressants) and optimism in nurses. At the end of 2018, a cross-sectional descriptive study was carried out with a sample of actively employed nurses recruited by snowball sampling. The sample consisted of 1432 nurses in Andalusia (Spain), aged 22–58, who were working at the time of data collection, 83.2% of whom were women. Data were collected anonymously in an ad hoc questionnaire about sociodemographic information and use of anxiolytics and/or antidepressives: the Brief Burnout Questionnaire—Revised for Nurses (CBB-R) and the Life Orientation Test—Revised (LOT-R). Descriptive, mediation and moderation analyses were performed, with significant results having a p-value less than 0.05. The results on burnout showed significant relationships with use of the drugs. In particular, personal impact, job dissatisfaction and motivational abandonment were positively related to use of certain of the anxiolytics and antidepressants presented, while the correlation with the social climate was negative. Furthermore, optimism correlated negatively with drug use. Knowing that optimism can alleviate the repercussions of the use of drugs opens up new lines of research and the possibility of developing programs aimed at promoting a positive disposition in the face of complicated events.

scholarly journals Association of Optimism and Perceived Stress among Young Adults

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ritika Joshi ◽  
Pragya Joshi
Keyword(s):  
Young Adults ◽  
Perceived Stress ◽  
Sampling Technique ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Life Orientation Test ◽  
Life Orientation ◽  
Spss Software ◽  
And Coping ◽  
Age Range ◽  
The Relationship

Optimism is a part of positive psychology which leads to better adaptive and coping skills and reduced stress level in an individual. The aim of the present research was to study the association of optimism and perceived stress among young adults. The sample consisted of 170 young adults (79 males and 91 females) within the age range of 18 to 25 years. Purposive sampling technique was employed for collecting the data. The Perceived stress scale-10 (PSS; Cohen, Kamarack & Marmelstein, 1983) and Life Orientation Test- Revised (Scheir, Carver, & Bridges, 1994) was used for measuring perceived stress and optimism respectively. Correlation and t-test was found using IBM SPSS software. Findings suggested that optimism was negatively correlated with perceived stress. Females were found to score significantly higher on perceived stress levels than males. While the gender difference in optimism level was reported to be insignificant. Future research needs to be conducted on the relationship between gender and levels of optimism.

scholarly journals Exploring the Gender Difference and Predictors of Perceived Stress among Students Enrolled in Different Medical Programs: A Cross-Sectional Study

2020 ◽  
Vol 17 (18) ◽  
pp. 6647
Author(s):  
Carmenrita Infortuna ◽  
Francesco Gratteri ◽  
Andrew Benotakeia ◽  
Sapan Patel ◽  
Alex Fleischman ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Medical Students ◽  
Perceived Stress ◽  
Self Esteem ◽  
Cross Sectional Study ◽  
Doctoral Degrees ◽  
Sectional Study ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Life Orientation Test ◽  
Life Orientation ◽  
Medical Programs

Female medical students seem to experience higher level of perceived stress. Moreover, there is a lack of research examining perceived stress in students enrolled in different medical programs. We analyzed the association between temperament traits, optimism, self-esteem, and perceived stress of students pursuing a Doctor of Medicine (MD) degree and students pursuing a Doctor of Podiatric Medicine (DPM) degree. A cross-sectional study was conducted of two cohorts: allopathic medical students (N = 154) and the podiatric medical students (N = 150). Students anonymously completed the Perceived Stress Scale (PSS-10), Temperament Evaluation of Memphis, Pisa, Paris, and San Diego Auto Questionnaire (TEMPS-A), Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale, and Life Orientation Test—Revised (LOT-R). We analyzed differences in the two cohort of students and predictors of perceived stress. There were no differences in the overall perception of stress between both cohorts (allopathic medical students: 18.83 ± 0.56; podiatric medical students: 19.3 ± 0.72; p = 0.4419). Women reported higher perceived stress in both programs (allopathic medical students: p = 0.0.038; podiatric medical students: p = 0.0.038). In both allopathic and podiatric medical students, the cyclothymic temperaments and anxious traits were positive predictors while hyperthymic temperaments and optimism traits were negative predictors of perceived stress. The level of perceived stress experienced by students pursuing different doctoral degrees in healthcare is similar. Regardless of the curriculum differences, female students experience higher perceived stress and there is evidence for similarities in predictors amongst allopathic and podiatric medical students.

scholarly journals Interleukin-6 and Melatonin as Predictors of Cognitive, Emotional and Functional Ageing of Older People

2020 ◽  
Vol 17 (10) ◽  
pp. 3623
Author(s):  
Anna Kurowska ◽  
Iwona Bodys-Cupak ◽  
Magdalena Staszkiewicz ◽  
Joanna Szklarczyk ◽  
Joanna Zalewska-Puchała ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Medical Care ◽  
Cross Sectional Study ◽  
Ageing Process ◽  
Functional Skills ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Life Orientation Test ◽  
Life Orientation ◽  
Human Immune ◽  
The Relationship ◽  
State Examination

Background: The ageing process causes a number of changes in the human immune and endocrine systems. The aim of this study was to assess the relationship between cognitive, emotional and functional skills as well lifestyle, versus selected biochemical indicators of the ageing process. Methods: The cross-sectional study was conducted in a group of 121 people aged 60–90 residing in the Lesser Poland voivodship. The study used standardized research tools including the Barthel scale, Instrumental Activities of Daily Living (IADL) scale, Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE), Life Orientation Test (LOT-R) and inventory of health behaviors (IHB). In addition, the concentration of IL-6 and melatonin in the blood plasma was determined. Results: We determined the correlation between the level of IL-6 in a group of people over 75 years of age (requiring medical care), and results of the IADL scale. There was also a correlation between melatonin levels and the MMSE results in a group of people aged 60–75 who did not require constant medical care. Conclusions: IL-6 can be treated as a predictor of functional skills of people over 75 years of age, and melatonin can be perceived as a factor for recognizing cognitive impairment in elderly people who do not require constant medical assistance.

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