Happy Face?
Perhaps the most widely used method for assessing optimistic or pessimistic disposition is the Life Orientation Test, developed by psychologists Michael Scheier and Charles Carver.
To gauge your optimism level with this test. indicate your response to each item below:
- A - strongly agree;
- B - agree;
- C - feel neutral;
- D - disagree;
- E - strongly disagree.
Don't let your answer to one question influence another.
- In uncertain times, I usually expect the best.
- It's easy for me to relax.
- If something can go wrong for me, it will.
- I'm always optimistic about my future.
- I enjoy my friends a lot.
- It's important for me to keep busy.
- I hardly ever expect things to go my way.
- I don't get upset too easily.
- I rarely count on good things happening to me.
- Overall, I expect more good things to happen to me than bad.
Ignore your answers to items 2, 5, 6 and 8. Those are fillers.
Subtotal your scores for items 1, 4 and 10 as follows: A scores 4 points; B scores 3; C scores 2: D scores 1; E scores 0.
Subtotal your scores for items 3, 7 and 9 as follows: A scores 0 points; B scores 1; C scores 2; D scores 3; E scores 4.
Add those subtotals for an overall optimism score.
The range is from 0 to 24, from extreme pessimism to extreme optimism, with virtual neutrality being the midpoint, 12.
Source:The Tampa Tribune - January 2000
