DISTINGUISHING OPTIMISM FROM NEUROTICISM (AND TRAIT ANXIETY, SELF-MASTERY, AND SELF-ESTEEM) - A REEVALUATION OF THE LIFE ORIENTATION TEST

Research on dispositional optimism as assessed by the Life Orientation Test (Scheier & Carver, 1985) has been challenged on the grounds that effects attributed to optimism are indistinguishable from those of un measured third variables, most notably, neuroticism. Data from 4,309 s ubjects show that associations between optimism and both depression an d aspects of coping remain significant even when the effects of neurot icism, as well as the effects of trait anxiety, self-mastery, and self -esteem, are statistically controlled. Thus, the Life Orientation Test does appear to possess adequate predictive and discriminant validity. Examination of the scale on somewhat different grounds, however, does suggest that future applications can benefit from its revision. Thus, we also describe a minor modification to the Life Orientation Test, a long with data bearing on the revised scale's psychometric properties.