Department of Medical Psychology and Medical Sociology, University of Leipzig, Germany.
Br J Health Psychol. 2012 May;17(2):432-45. doi: 10.1111/j.2044-8287.2011.02046.x. Epub 2011 Jul 21.
The relevance of the construct optimism in health psychology has been convincingly demonstrated in numerous studies. Population-based studies about dispositional optimism and the psychometric properties of the Life Orientation Test LOT-R as well as population-based norms are lacking.
A representative population survey in Germany was conducted to investigate psychometric properties of the LOT-R and to deliver population-based norms.
A representative sample of 2,372 adults aged 18-93 years were screened using self-rating instruments. Results. The confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) confirmed two factors. Optimism and pessimism are negatively correlated (r=-.20). Indications for convergent validity were demonstrated with depression, satisfaction with life, subjective state of health and health care utilization. Optimism is more strongly related to all indicators than pessimism. Since there are only marginal age and gender differences, norm data are given for the entire population.
Our study confirms the bi-dimensionality of the LOT-R and thus underpins that optimism and pessimism are two independent constructs rather than a single bipolar trait. Psychometric properties were found to be satisfactory. Together with the norm values reported in the paper, this instrument can, thus, be employed to measure dispositional optimism or pessimism in individual diagnostics as well as in epidemiological research.
在健康心理学中，构念乐观的相关性在众多研究中得到了令人信服的证明。缺乏基于人群的关于性格乐观和生活取向测试（LOT-R）的心理计量特性以及基于人群的常模的研究。
在德国进行了一项具有代表性的人群调查，以调查 LOT-R 的心理计量特性，并提供基于人群的常模。
使用自评工具对 2372 名年龄在 18 至 93 岁的成年人进行了代表性样本筛选。结果。验证性因素分析（CFA）证实了两个因素。乐观和悲观呈负相关（r=-.20）。与抑郁、生活满意度、主观健康状况和医疗保健利用的相关性表明存在收敛效度。与所有指标相比，乐观与所有指标的相关性更强。由于只有微小的年龄和性别差异，因此给出了整个人群的常模数据。
我们的研究证实了 LOT-R 的二维性，从而支持乐观和悲观是两个独立的构念，而不是单一的两极特质。心理计量特性被发现是令人满意的。结合本文报告的常数值，该工具可用于个体诊断和流行病学研究中测量性格乐观或悲观。
