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. 2005 May;46(5):548-58.
doi: 10.1111/j.1469-7610.2004.00372.x.

A new measure of children's optimism and pessimism: the youth life orientation test

Sydney Ey  1 , Wendy Hadley, Deanna Nuttbrock Allen, Shawna Palmer, James Klosky, Daneen Deptula, Jay Thomas, Robert Cohen
Affiliations

A new measure of children's optimism and pessimism: the youth life orientation test

Sydney Ey et al. J Child Psychol Psychiatry. 2005 May.

Abstract

Background: Optimism and pessimism are positive and negative expectations linked with well-being in adults. Research on the importance of optimism and pessimism in children is limited by the lack of a developmentally appropriate measure of children's expectations.

Method: Based upon the Life Orientation Test-Revised (Scheier, Carver, & Bridges, 1994), the Youth Life Orientation Test (YLOT) is a sixteen-item self-report measure of children's optimism and pessimism.

Results: Reliability and validity of the YLOT was found with 204 3rd-6th graders. Optimism also predicted fewer child-reported depressive symptoms and parent-reported behavior problems assessed three months later. Pessimism predicted more child-reported anxiety symptoms and parent-reported social and academic deficits.

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