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. 2017 May-Aug;17(2):161-170.
doi: 10.1016/j.ijchp.2017.02.003. Epub 2017 Mar 31.

Optimism and pessimism in the general population: Psychometric properties of the Life Orientation Test (LOT-R)

Andreas Hinz  1 , Christian Sander  2 , Heide Glaesmer  1 , Elmar Brähler  1   3 , Markus Zenger  4   5 , Anja Hilbert  5 , Rüya-Daniela Kocalevent  6
Affiliations

Optimism and pessimism in the general population: Psychometric properties of the Life Orientation Test (LOT-R)

Andreas Hinz et al. Int J Clin Health Psychol. 2017 May-Aug.

Abstract
in English, Spanish

Background/Objective: The Life Orientation Test-Revised (LOT-R) is often used to assess dispositional optimism. The aims of this study were to test psychometric properties of the LOT-R, to provide normative scores, and to test the association between optimism and several psychological, sociodemographic, and behavioral factors. Method: A randomly selected German general population community sample with an age range of 18-80 years (N = 9,711) was surveyed. Results: The Confirmatory Factor Analysis (CFA) proved two (correlated) factors: Optimism and Pessimism. Invariance tests across gender and age groups confirmed metric invariance. There were only small gender differences in the LOT-R total score (M = 16.4 for females and M = 16.1 for males). The correlation between the subscales Optimism and Pessimism was strong for young and well educated people. Low optimism mean scores were observed for unemployed people, people with low income, smokers, and obese people. Normative scores of the LOT-R are provided. Conclusions: The study confirmed the bidimensional structure of the LOT-R and invariance across age and gender. We can recommend using this instrument for measuring dispositional optimism and pessimism in epidemiological research and clinical practice.

Antecedentes/Objetivo: La versión revisada del Life Orientation Test (LOT-R) se emplea a menudo para evaluar el optimismo disposicional. Los objetivos de este estudio fueron establecer las propiedades psicométricas del LOT-R, y probar la asociación entre optimismo y varios factores psicológicos, socio-demográficos y conductuales. Método: Para ello se entrevistó una muestra comunitaria aleatoriamente seleccionada de la población general alemana, con un rango de edad de 19-80 años (N = 9.711). Resultados: El Análisis Factorial Confirmatorio (CFA) sugiere dos factores (correlacionados): Optimismo y Pesimismo. Las pruebas de invarianza para género y edad confirmaron la invarianza métrica. Solamente se encontraron pequeñas diferencias de género en el puntaje total (M = 16,4 para mujeres y M = 16,1 para hombres). Se encontraron bajos puntajes medios en personas desempleadas, personas con bajos ingresos, fumadores y personas con obesidad. Se proveen valores normativos para el LOT-R. Conclusiones: El estudio confirma la estructura bidimensional del LOT-R y la invarianza en género y edad. El instrumento puede recomendarse para medir optimismo disposicional y pesimismo en investigación epidemiológica y en la práctica clínica.

Keywords: Descriptive survey study; Factor structure; Measurement invariance; Optimism; Pessimism.

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