Optimism, coping, and health: Assessment and implications of generalized outcome expectancies.

Describes a scale measuring dispositional optimism, defined in terms of generalized outcome expectancies. Two preliminary studies, involving a total of 438 male and 336 female undergraduates, assessed the scale's psychometric properties and its relationships with several other instruments. The scale was then used in a longitudinal study of symptom reporting among 79 male and 62 female undergraduates. Ss were asked to complete 3 questionnaires 4 wks before the end of a semester. Included in the questionnaire battery were the measure of optimism, a measure of private self-consciousness, and a 39-item physical symptom checklist. Ss completed the same set of questionnaires again on the last day of class. Consistent with predictions, Ss who initially reported being highly optimistic were subsequently less likely to report being bothered by symptoms (even after correcting for initial symptom-report levels) than were Ss who initially reported being less optimistic. This effect tended to be stronger among Ss high in private self-consciousness than among those lower in private self-consciousness. Discussion centers on other health related applications of the optimism scale and the relationships between the theoretical orientation of the scale and several related theories. (3 p ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)