A Prospective Study of Hope, Optimism, and Health

1997 ◽  
Vol 81 (3) ◽  
pp. 723-733 ◽  
Author(s):  
Anthony Scioli ◽  
Christine M. Chamberlin ◽  
Cindi M. Samor ◽  
Anne B. Lapointe ◽  
Tamara L. Campbell ◽  
...  

The present investigation sought to distinguish hope from optimism in the context of a 10-wk. prospective study involving reports of health outcomes. Gottschalk's (1985) Hope Scale and Scheier and Carver's (1987) Life Orientation Test which assesses optimism were given to subjects, along with a health questionnaire. Ten weeks later subjects were given a second health questionnaire. To rule out potential confounds we included measures of neuroticism, depression, extroversion, and social desirability. After controlling for the effects of correlated confounds, we found that lower hope scores (but not optimism) were correlated with several dimensions of reported health, including frequency and severity of illness.

1999 ◽  
Vol 84 (2) ◽  
pp. 627-636 ◽  
Author(s):  
Karl Schweizer ◽  
Alexandra Beck-Seyffer ◽  
Rainer Schneider

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).


1997 ◽  
Vol 11 (4) ◽  
pp. 263-277 ◽  
Author(s):  
Owen R. Lightsey

Following recommendations to include multiple predictors within a single study, this prospective study tested whether generalized self-efficacy (GSE), positive thoughts, optimism, and self-mastery may act as stress buffers. The Generalized Self-Efficacy Scale, the Automatic Thoughts Questionnaire- Positive, the Life Orientation Test, the Self-Mastery Scale, the Automatic Thoughts Questionnaire, the Life Experiences Survey, and the Beck Depression Inventory were administered to 69 undergraduate volunteers twice over 5 weeks. The GSE x negative life events interaction accounted for unique variance in future dysphoria, indicating that, for greater preexisting GSE, negative life events were less associated with dysphoria. This finding suggests that GSE may act as a stress buffer: When exposed to stressors, persons with higher GSE may become less dysphoric than persons with lower GSE. Additionally, for higher self-mastery, negative life events had a stronger relationship with future dysphoria. This suggests that self-mastery may in some circumstances act as a stress exacerbator: When exposed to stressors, persons with higher self-mastery appear to become more dysphoric than persons with lower self-mastery.


Diagnostica ◽  
2012 ◽  
Vol 58 (2) ◽  
pp. 64-74
Author(s):  
Sakari Lemola ◽  
Antje von Suchodoletz ◽  
Katri Räikkönen ◽  
Catherine Gunzenhauser

Zusammenfassung. Ziel der vorliegenden Studie ist die Untersuchung der psychometrischen Eigenschaften, faktoriellen Struktur und konvergenten Validität der deutschsprachigen Version des Parent Rated Life Orientation Test of Children (PLOT) zur Messung von Optimismus und Pessimismus bei 4 bis 6-jährigen Vorschulkindern. Eltern von 145 Kindergartenkindern (77 Mädchen; Alter: M = 5.0, SD = 0.6 Jahre) schätzten Optimismus und Pessimismus sowie Emotionsregulation der Kinder ein. Außerdem wurde das Problemverhalten der Kinder (Eltern- und Erzieherinneneinschätzung) erfasst. Konsistent zu Studien mit Schulkindern und Jugendlichen zeigte sich eine zweidimensionale Faktorenstruktur mit einem Optimismus- und einem Pessimismusfaktor. Die Ergebnisse ergaben theoriekonforme Zusammenhänge mit Problemverhalten und Emotionsregulation der Kinder. Insgesamt weisen die gefundenen Reliabilitäts- und Validitätswerte auf eine gute Verwendbarkeit des PLOT bei Vorschulkindern hin. Das neue Messverfahren kann einen Beitrag zum besseren Verständnis von Zukunftserwartungen bei Vorschulkindern leisten und als Screening-Instrument zur Identifikation von Kindern mit einem Entwicklungsrisiko dienen.


Author(s):  
Michael F. Scheier ◽  
Charles S. Carver ◽  
Michael W. Bridges

2016 ◽  
Vol 1 (2) ◽  
pp. 20-32
Author(s):  
Héctor Alvarado Collantes ◽  
Ángela María Herrera Álvarez

El presente estudio tuvo por objetivo determinar la relación existente entre autoconepto personal, nivel de ansiedad y comprensión lectora en estudiantes de educación secundaria. El diseño que se reporta es descriptivo correlacional. La muestra estuvo constituida por 260 estudiantes varones y mujeres del VII ciclo de educación secundaria del colegio N°0025, del distrito de Ate, de la Urbanización San Gregorio, a quienes se les aplicaron los siguientes instrumentos: el cuestionario de autoconcepto personal (APE) de Eider Goñi Palacios (2009); la escala de ansiedad, el LOT, y el LOT-R; Life Orientation Test, de Sheier, Carver y Bridges (1994); y la prueba de comprensión lectora de Cabanillas (2004). A partir del análisis de los resultados, se concluye que existe una relación significativa entre autoconcepto personal, nivel de ansiedad y comprensión lectora en estudiantes de educación secundaria.


2020 ◽  
Vol 48 (10) ◽  
pp. 1-9
Author(s):  
Ran Zhang ◽  
Luming Zhao ◽  
Lin Wu ◽  
Hongxu Chen ◽  
Gaoxing Zhou ◽  
...  

The framing effect is a key topic that has been insufficiently studied in research on behavioral decision making. In our study we explored the effects of optimism on self-framing and risky decision making. Participants were 416 undergraduates who responded to the Life Orientation Test and a self-framing test based on the Asian disease problem. The results demonstrate that, compared with people low in optimism, highly optimistic individuals tended to use more positive words to describe problems, generate more positive frames, and choose more risky options. There was also a significant self-framing effect: Participants with a negative frame tended to be risk-seeking, whereas those with a positive frame tended to avoid risks. Additionally, selfframing suppressed the effect of optimism on risky decision making. We can conclude that optimism has significant effects on self-framing and risky decision making.


Author(s):  
OJS Admin

Optimism is an attitude of a healthy mind that leads to success while pessimism is ingrained habit of mind with the consequences of underachievement and anxiety. University students who practice optimismare considered highly significant with the score of Life Orientation Test-Revised.


2018 ◽  
Vol 46 (5) ◽  
pp. 783-792 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yulan Yu ◽  
Jun Luo

We used the General Self-Efficacy Scale, the Life Orientation Test Revised, and the Revised Oxford Happiness Scale to investigate the correlations among dispositional optimism, self-efficacy, and subjective well-being in 2,578 college students. The results showed that self-efficacy, dispositional optimism, and well-being were significantly positively correlated with one another. In addition, the influence of dispositional optimism on subjective well-being was partially mediated by self-efficacy, with the mediating effect accounting for 31.6% of the total effect.


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