Optimism/Pessimism, Assessment of

Optimism, one's tendency to expect positive outcomes, and its related (yet debated) converse, pessimism, have been assessed via numerous instruments reflecting researchers’ theoretical and contextual backgrounds. This entry includes descriptions of commonly used reliable unidimensional global assessments (Life Orientation Test (LOT & LOT-R), Attributional Style Questionnaire (ASQ & EASQ), Optimism-Pessimism Scale for MMPI (PSM & PSM-R)), multidimensional global assessments (Optimism and Pessimism Scale (OPS), Extended Life Orientation Test (ELOT), Positive and Negative Expectancy Questionnaire (PANEQ), Assessment of Personal Optimism and Social Optimism-Extended (POSO-E), Optimism-Pessimism-2 (SOP2)), and domain-specific assessments (unrealistic/comparative optimism measures, Optimism – Pessimism Prescreening Questionnaire (OPPQ), Defensive Pessimism Questionnaire (DPQ), HIV Treatment Optimism Scale (HIV-TOS), and Cancer Patient Optimism Scale (CPOS)).