Optimism test (LOT-R)
See what the test measures, how it is scored, and how a result is read against the population that actually fits you.
The Life Orientation Test-Revised is the most widely used measure of dispositional optimism - the generalized tendency to expect good rather than bad things to happen. Published by Michael Scheier and Charles Carver in 1994, it asks just ten short questions (six of which are scored) and was deliberately built so that optimism is measured cleanly, separate from neuroticism, anxiety and self-esteem.
The model
What it measures
The LOT-R measures one thing: dispositional optimism, a stable expectation that things will generally work out well. It is not about a single goal or a passing good mood, but about a broad, trait-like outlook on the future that colours how a person approaches challenges and setbacks.
The aspects below are conceptual angles on that outlook - positive outcome expectancies, a forward-looking confidence, and low pessimism - not separately scored dimensions. Three statements are worded optimistically and three pessimistically (and reverse-keyed), and four extra filler items are not scored at all, so the test does not simply reward agreeing with everything. The six scored items are summed to a single total.
- OPDispositional Optimism
Your generalized expectation that good rather than bad things will happen - a stable, forward-looking outlook on the future.
Facets: Positive outcome expectancies, Confidence about the future, Low pessimism, Hopeful outlook.
The evidence
Science and validity
The LOT-R is one of the most thoroughly researched optimism measures in psychology. Internal consistency is moderate - Cronbach's alpha typically about .74 to .82, which is respectable given only six scored items - and temporal stability is high for a dispositional trait, with test-retest correlations from about .68 over four months to .79 over more than two years. It predicts coping, psychological adjustment and a range of physical-health outcomes, and the whole point of the 1994 revision was to keep it distinct from neuroticism, trait anxiety, self-mastery and self-esteem.
You rate each statement on a 5-point agree-disagree scale. Six items are scored (three optimistic, three pessimistic and reverse-keyed); the remaining four are fillers that are never scored. After reversal, the six items are summed to a 0-24 total where higher means more optimism. A persistent technical finding is that the positively and negatively worded items can split into two correlated factors, so some researchers score optimism and pessimism separately, but the single total is the standard. There are no clinical cut-offs; the result is norm-referenced against a comparison group.
Where you stand
How a score becomes a percentile
A raw score only means something against a comparison group. For example, on the 0-24 metric a dispositional-optimism total of 18 sits a little under one standard deviation above the typical adult average (where the mean is near 14-15), placing it around the 80th percentile - more optimistic than roughly four in five adults. Drag the slider to see how a score maps to a percentile; your real result is matched to the population that fits you when you take the test.
The reference data
Benchmarked against the population that fits you
We benchmark your result against the population that actually resembles you, across 30 reference groups.
Each reference group is used as its own benchmark, not to rank one country against another.
How it works
What the questions feel like
Illustrative statements showing the style of the items. These are examples, not the official scored items.
When things are uncertain, I tend to expect the best.
Illustrative example in the style of the scale, not an official scored item.
I generally look forward to my future with confidence.
Illustrative example, not an official scored item.
I rarely count on good things coming my way.
Illustrative reverse-worded example, not an official scored item.
On balance, I expect more good than bad to happen to me.
Illustrative example, not an official scored item.
Honest strengths and limitations
Strengths
- The standard measure of dispositional optimism, validated across 30+ languages and decades of health and coping research.
- Very short (about 3 minutes) and free for research and non-commercial use.
- Built specifically to measure optimism cleanly, distinct from neuroticism, anxiety and self-esteem.
Limitations
- It is a single global score from only six scored items, so it is a brief read on your overall outlook rather than a precise or fine-grained profile.
- Like all self-reports it can be shaped by current mood and self-presentation, and it captures a broad tendency rather than how you will feel about any one situation.
- Cross-country mean comparisons are confounded by response styles and translation differences, so percentiles are a guide, not a verdict.
See your full profile
A complete report, matched to the population that fits you, with plain-language interpretation of every trait.
Frequently asked questions
What does the Life Orientation Test-Revised measure?
It measures dispositional optimism - your generalized tendency to expect good rather than bad things to happen. It gives a single overall score from six scored items (three optimistic, three pessimistic), separate from related traits like anxiety and self-esteem.
How is the LOT-R scored?
Each item is rated on a 5-point agree-disagree scale. Only six of the ten items are scored - four are unscored fillers. The three pessimistically worded items are reverse-keyed so higher always means more optimism, and the six items are summed to a 0-24 total. There are no clinical cut-offs; the score is read against a comparison group.
Is optimism the same as just being happy?
Not quite. Optimism here is a forward-looking expectation that things will turn out well, which is distinct from how happy or satisfied you feel right now. It is more about your outlook on the future than your present mood, although the two are related.
Is the optimism test free to use?
Yes. The LOT-R is distributed openly by Charles Carver for research and non-commercial use. On Psychology.me, the free Snapshot gives you a quick read on your outlook alongside other measures.
Related tests
- Scheier, M. F., Carver, C. S., & 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.
- Glaesmer, H., Rief, W., Martin, A., Mewes, R., Brahler, E., Zenger, M., & Hinz, A. (2012). Psychometric properties and population-based norms of the Life Orientation Test Revised (LOT-R). British Journal of Health Psychology, 17(2), 432-445.
The Life Orientation Test-Revised is the work of Michael Scheier, Charles Carver and Michael Bridges (1994) and is distributed openly for research and non-commercial use; this independent informational page describes the instrument and links to the official source.