Abstract
Dispositional optimism is the variable within Positive Psychology that has been studied in different environments, as it is presented as related and predictor of psychological variables and health environments. The present study investigated whether there were significant differences in Optimism levels measured through the Life Orientation Test (LOT-R) according to the country of residence of the people, in an accidental sample of 464 people from Argentina, Mexico and Chile. No significant differences were found in the Optimism dimension, but in the Pessimism dimension, where Argentina presents the highest levels. In addition, significant differences were detected in 2 of the items in the Optimism dimension, where Mexican residents presented themselves with better levels, and in an item of the dimension Pessimism. The results are limited to the study that was carried out but they emphasize the importance of carrying out more studies in subjects that the present governments are working to improve the quality of life of the people that can be directly influenced by positive variables like Optimism.
Avella Cubillos, D. M. (2014). Estilos de liderazgo y su relación con los niveles de optimismo de los colaboradores, en entornos culturales de países suramericanos (Tesis de pregrado). Universidad Colegio Mayor Nuestra Señora del Rosario, Bogotá, Colombia.
Bandeira, M., Bekou, V., Silva Lott, K., Teixeira, M., & Silva Rocha, S. (2002). Validaçao transcultural do Teste de Orientaçao da Vida (TOV-R). Estudos de Psicología, 7(2), 251-258. doi: https://doi.org/10.1590/S1413-294X2002000200006
Chico, E. (2002). Optimismo disposicional como predictor de estrategias de afrontamiento. Psicothema, 14(3), 544-550.
Ferrando, P., Chico, E., & Tous, J. (2002). Propiedades psicométricas del test de optimismo Life Orientation Test. Psicothema, 14(3), 673-680.
Grau, J., Hernández, E., & Vera-Villarroel (2005). Estrés, Salutogénesis y vulnerabilidad. En Hernández, E. & Grau, J. (Ed.) Psicología de la Salud: Fundamentos, metodología aplicaciones, 113-178. Guadalajara: Universidad de Guadalajara.
Grimaldo, M. (2004). Niveles de optimismo em um grupo de estudiantes de una universidad particular de la ciudad de Lima. Liberabit, 10, 96-106.
Heinonen, K., Raikkonen, K., Mathews, K.A., Scheier, M., Raitakari, O.T., Pulkki, L. & Keltikangas-Jarvinen, L. (2006). Socioeconomic status in childhood and adulthood: Associations with dispositional optimism and pessimism over a 21- year follow-up. Journal of Personality, 74(4), 1111-1126. doi: https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1467-6494.2006.00404.x
Kerlinger, F. y Lee, H. (2002). Investigación del comportamiento (5a Ed.). México: Editorial Interamericana McGraw-Hill.
Lai, J., Cheung, H., Lee, W. & Yu, H. (1998). The utility of the Revides Life Orientation Test to measure optimism among Hong Kong Chinese. International Journal of Psychology, 33(1), 45-56.
Lai, L. & Yue, X. (2000). Measuring optimism in Hong Kong and mainland Chinese with the revised Life Orientation Test. Personality and Individual Differences, 28(4), 781-796.
Martínez-Correa, A., Reyes, G., García-León, A., & Gonzáles-Jareño, M. (2006). Optimismo/pesimismo disposicional y estrategias de afrontamiento del estrés. Psicothema, 18(1), 66-72.
Otero, J. M., Luengo, A., Romero, E., Gómez, J.A., & Castro, C. (1998). Psicología de la personalidad. Manual de prácticas. Barcelona: Ariel Practicum.
Pavez, P., Mena, L., & Vera-Villarroel, P. (2012). El rol de la felicidad y el optimismo como factor protector de la ansiedad. Universitas Psychologica, 11(2), 369-380.
Pavía, J. M., Rausell, P., Marco-Serrano, F., & Coll, V. (2011). Encuestas electorales online: nuevos retos, viejos problemas. Reis, 135, 107-122. doi: https://doi.org/10.5477/cis/reis.135.107
Rauch, W., Scheweizer, K., & Moonsbrugger, H. (2006). Method effects due to social desirability as a parsimonious explanation of the deviation from unidimensionality in LOT-R scores. Personality and Individual Diferences, 42(8), 1597-1607. doi: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.paid.2006.10.035
Scheier, M.F., Carver, C. & Bridges M.W. (1994). Distinguishing optimism from neuroticism (and trait anxiety, self-mastery, and self-esteem): A reevaluation of the Life Orientation Test. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 67(6), 1063-1078. doi: https://doi.org/10.1037//0022-3514.67.6.1063
Scheier, M. & Carver, C. (1985). Optimism, coping and health: Assessment and implications of generalized outcome expectancies. Health Psychology, 4(3), 219-247.
Seligman, M. E. P. (1999). The president’s address. American Psychologist, 54, 559-562.
Vázquez, C. & Hervás, G. (2008). Psicología Positiva: Bases científicas del bienestar y la resiliencia. Madrid: Alianza Editorial.
Vera, B. (2006). Psicología Positiva: una nueva forma de entender la Psicología. Papeles del psicólogo, 27(1), 3-8.
Vera-Villarroel,P., Córdova-Rubio,N., & Celis-Atenas, K. (2009). Evaluación del Optimismo: Un análisis preliminar del Life Orientation Test Version Revisada (LOT-R) en población chilena. Universitas Psychologica, 8(1), 61-68.
Yorck, P., Glaesmer, H., & Hoyer, J. (2006). Separating optimism and pesimism: A robust psychometric analysis of the Revised Life Orientation Test (LOT-R). Psychological Assessment, 18(4), 433-438. doi: https://doi.org/10.1037/1040-3590.18.4.433
This journal is registered under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International Public License. Thus, this work may be reproduced, distributed, and publicly shared in digital format, as long as the names of the authors and Pontificia Universidad Javeriana are acknowledged. Others are allowed to quote, adapt, transform, auto-archive, republish, and create based on this material, for any purpose (even commercial ones), provided the authorship is duly acknowledged, a link to the original work is provided, and it is specified if changes have been made. Pontificia Universidad Javeriana does not hold the rights of published works and the authors are solely responsible for the contents of their works; they keep the moral, intellectual, privacy, and publicity rights. Approving the intervention of the work (review, copy-editing, translation, layout) and the following outreach, are granted through an use license and not through an assignment of rights. This means the journal and Pontificia Universidad Javeriana cannot be held responsible for any ethical malpractice by the authors. As a consequence of the protection granted by the use license, the journal is not required to publish recantations or modify information already published, unless the errata stems from the editorial management process. Publishing contents in this journal does not generate royalties for contributors.