Factor structure of the Life Orientation Test-Revised (LOT-R)

• Main Authors: Fernanda Ottati, Ana Paula Porto Noronha
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: Universidad Católica de Colombia 2017-02-01
• Series: Acta Colombiana de Psicología
• Subjects: Lenguaje; conducta humana; lenguaje hablado
• Online Access: https://editorial.ucatolica.edu.co/ojsucatolica/revistas_ucatolica/index.php/acta-colombiana-psicologia/article/view/1293

<div class="page" title="Page 1"><div class="layoutArea"><div class="column"><p><span>Optimism and pessimism are conceptualized as generalized expectations about events happening in people's lives, and are regarded as stable dispositions. The construct of optimism can be understood as being one-dimensional and bipolar, in other words, it’s an only attribute with two extremes ranging from optimism or pessimism. The Revised Life Orientation Test (LOT-R) is the instrument used for assessing dispositional optimism and has been the subject of several studies that verify its one-dimensionality. However, the results of those studies do not necessarily support the theoretical model. The aim of this paper was to analyze the factor structure of the LOT-R in a sample of adolescent students from basic primary and secondary education. Participants were 183 students of both genders, aged between 13 and 19 years old. The application of the LOT-R</span><span>was carried collectively in the classroom. The instrument’s confirmatory factor analysis was performed by testing a one-factor</span><span>model and another one of two-factors. The two-factor model was the most appropriate, showing that, for this particular sample, the LOT-R consists of two components. The need for studies to test the structure of the instrument is evident inasmuch as the</span><span>literature indicates that cultural differences are key elements to understanding optimism.</span></p></div></div></div>