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Structural equation modeling was used to test hypotheses about (a) the dimensionality of measures of dispositional hope (the Adult Hope Scale, AHS) and dispositional optimism (the Life Orientation Test, LOT), (b) the extent and source of conceptual overlap and divergence between hope and optimism, and (c) patterns of discriminant validity for each trait. Separate two-factor models best fit the hope (Agency and Pathways, r = .68) and optimism (Optimism and Pessimism, r= -.63) data. Analyzing the combined AHS and LOT data, a measurement model with separate, correlated second-order factors of Hope and Optimism (r = .80) provided a better fit than did a higher-order model with a single second-order factor. Optimism correlated equally with both Agency and Pathways, whereas Pessimism was more strongly correlated with Agency than with Pathways. Confirming hypotheses, second-order Optimism had a stronger influence on the use of positive reappraisal as a coping strategy than did second-order Hope, whereas second-order Hope had a stronger influence on level of general self-efficacy than did second-order Optimism. We suggest that hope focuses more directly on the personal attainment of specific goals, whereas optimism focuses more broadly on the expected quality of future outcomes in general.
A sailor without a destination cannot hope for a favorable wind.
- Leon Tec
A pessimist sees the difficulty in every opportunity; an optimist sees the opportunity in every difficulty.
- Sir Winston Churchill
The recent emergence of positive psychology as an integrative research domain (Seligman & Csikszentmihalyi, 2000) has sparked new interest in understanding basic domains of positive subjective experience. Over the years, previous researchers have developed a variety of different theoretical perspectives on the central concepts that form the bedrock of positive psychology, including models of self-actualization (Maslow, 1970), hardiness (Kobasa, 1979), subjective well-being (Diener, 1984), flow (Csikszentmihalyi, 1990), learned optimism (Seligman, 1991), and hope (Meninger, 1959). Yet there remains little consensus as to what these core theoretical constructs are, how they should be defined, and how they relate conceptually to one another. If positive psychology is to advance, however, its core concepts must be explicated clearly and precisely, and the conceptual and operational commonalities and uniquenesses among these key constructs must be clarified.
As a case in point, consider hope and optimism, two central concepts in positive...