A new measure of children's optimism and pessimism: The youth life orientation test
Abstract
Background: Optimism and pessimism are positive and negative expectations linked with well-being in adults. Research on the importance of optimism and pessimism in children is limited by the lack of a developmentally appropriate measure of children's expectations. Method: Based upon the Life Orientation Test-Revised (Scheier, Carver, & Bridges, 1994), the Youth Life Orientation Test (YLOT) is a sixteen-item self-report measure of children's optimism and pessimism. Results: Reliability and validity of the YLOT was found with 204 3rd-6th graders. Optimism also predicted fewer child-reported depressive symptoms and parent-reported behavior problems assessed three months later. Pessimism predicted more child-reported anxiety symptoms and parent-reported social and academic deficits. © Association for Child Psychology and Psychiatry, 2004.
Publication Title
Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry and Allied Disciplines
Recommended Citation
Ey, S., Hadley, W., Allen, D., Palmer, S., Klosky, J., Deptula, D., Thomas, J., & Cohen, R. (2005). A new measure of children's optimism and pessimism: The youth life orientation test. Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry and Allied Disciplines, 46 (5), 548-558. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1469-7610.2004.00372.x
