Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
. 2015 May-Aug;15(2):139-148.
doi: 10.1016/j.ijchp.2015.01.003. Epub 2015 Feb 28.

Factor structure of the Spanish version of the Life Orientation Test-Revised (LOT-R): Testing several models

Francisco J Cano-García  1 , Susana Sanduvete-Chaves  1 , Salvador Chacón-Moscoso  1   2 , Luis Rodríguez-Franco  1 , Jesús García-Martínez  1 , María A Antuña-Bellerín  1 , José A Pérez-Gil  1
Affiliations

Factor structure of the Spanish version of the Life Orientation Test-Revised (LOT-R): Testing several models

Francisco J Cano-García et al. Int J Clin Health Psychol. 2015 May-Aug.

Abstract
in English, Spanish

Studies of the dimensionality of the Life Orientation Test-Revised (LOT-R), considered as the gold standard in the measurement of dispositional optimism, yield controversial results due to the various factorial solutions found. Consequently, the factorial structure of the test has not yet been fully established. The aim of this study is to determine the factorial structure of the LOT-R by comparing seven previous models and their empirical evidence. The test was administered to 906 Spanish participants, ages 18 to 61 (mean age: 23; 56% males). Confirmatory factor analyses were conducted using polychoric correlations. Considering the theoretical background and the best model fit indices (RMSEA=.038; CFI=.98), we conclude that the test presents a factorial structure of a second-order factor (life orientation) composed of two factors (optimism and pessimism). Thus, we recommend using a single global score that could be referred to as life orientation but which ultimately represents the level of dispositional optimism.

Los estudios sobre la dimensionalidad del Test de Orientación Vital-Revisado (LOT-R), considerado el estándar en la medida del optimismo disposicional, resultan controvertidos al encontrar diversas soluciones factoriales. Así, no se ha establecido la estructura factorial definitiva de la prueba. El objetivo del presente estudio es determinar la estructura factorial del LOT-R mediante la comparación de los siete modelos empíricos existentes en la literatura. El instrumento fue administrado a 906 participantes españoles, de edades comprendidas entre los 18 y los 61 años (edad media = 23; 56% hombres). Se llevaron a cabo análisis factoriales confirmatorios sobre la matriz de correlaciones policóricas. Teniendo en cuenta los modelos teóricos existentes y los mejores índices de ajuste (RMSEA = 0,038; CFI = 0,98), concluimos que el LOT-R presenta una estructura factorial de segundo orden (orientación vital), compuesta por dos factores (Optimismo y Pesimismo). En consecuencia, recomendamos utilizar una única puntuación global que puede denominarse orientación vital y que, en último término, representa el nivel de optimismo disposicional.

Keywords: Confirmatory factor analysis; Instrumental study.; Life Orientation Test-Revised (LOT-R); Optimism; Second-order factor structure.

PubMed Disclaimer

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Standardised factor loadings in model 1: one factor (OPT = optimism).
Figure 2
Figure 2
Standardised factor loadings in model 2: two independent factors (OPT = optimism and PES = pessimism).
Figure 3
Figure 3
Standardised factor loadings in model 3: two correlated factors (OPT = optimism and PES = pessimism).
Figure 4
Figure 4
Standardised factor loadings in model 4: a second-order factor (LO = life orientation) comprised of two factors (OPT = optimism and PES = pessimism).
Figure 5
Figure 5
Standardised factor loadings with an additional factor (MET = method effects) formed by the items referred to pessimism in model 1: one factor (OPT = optimism).
Figure 6
Figure 6
Standardised factor loadings with an additional factor (MET = method effects) formed by the items referring to optimism in model 1: one factor (OPT = optimism).
Figure 7
Figure 7
Standardised factor loadings with an additional factor (MET = method effects) formed by all the items in model 1: one factor (OPT = optimism).
See this image and copyright information in PMC

References

    1. Affleck G., Tennen H., Apter A. American Psychological Association; Washington. DC: 2001. Optimism, pessimism, and daily life with chronic illness.
    1. Alessandri G., Vecchione M., Fagnani C., Bentler P.M., Barbaranelli C., Medda E., Nistico L., Stazi M.A., Caprara G.V. Much more than model fitting? Evidence for the heritability of method effect associated with positively worded items of the Life Orientation Test Revised. Structural Equation Modeling. 2010;17:642–653.
    1. Andersson G. The benefits of optimism: A meta-analytic review of the Life Orientation Test. Personality and Individual Differences. 1996;21:719–725.
    1. Arias B., Verdugo M.A., Navas P., Gómez L.E. Factor structure of the construct of adaptive behavior in children with and without intellectual disability. International Journal of Clinical and Health Psychology. 2013;13:155–166.
    1. Bagozzi R.P., Yi Y. Specification, evaluation, and interpretation of structural equation models. Journal of the Academy of Marketing Science. 2012;40:8–34.