Research on dispositional optimism and explanatory style has burgeoned in recent years. The present study assessed the psychometric properties of the Life Orientation Test and Attributional Style Questionnaire, two self-report scales commonly used to measure these two constructs in social-personality research. Data reported include means, standard deviations, internal reliabilities, and intercorrelations for a sample of 436 (342 women and 94 men) college students. Scores on the measures were moderately correlated (r = .41), suggesting some conceptual overlap. No gender differences were evidenced on either scale.
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