Positively and Negatively Worded Items in a Self-Report Measure of Dispositional Optimism

Abstract

Significantly higher mean scores on the negatively versus positively worded subscales are reported for a Dutch-adapted version of the Life Orientation Test, a measure of dispositional optimism. This extends previous findings on measures of negative affect (i.e., anxiety and depression) to a similarly balanced measure of positive affect. Factor analysis identified two factors (presence of optimism and absence of pessimism) which suggested the multidimensionality of the scale based on differences in item content along the independent dimensions of positive and negative affect.