Affiliations: UMASS-Lowell, Lowell, MA, USA | Brookside Hosptial, Nashua, NH, USA
Note: [] Address for correspondence: James Carifio, 56 Dean St., Belmout,
MA 02478, USA. Tel.: +1 617 484 9285
Abstract: This study assessed the construct validities and the relationships
between Optimism [21], Hope [27], Self-Efficacy [18], and Locus of Control
[12]. The validities and relationships between these scales were examined not
only because they are to some degree rival constructs but also because there is
an outstanding theoretical question in the literature of whether each of these
variables is a state or trait variable or both. Synder' Hope scale was the
"know marker" trait-state scale in this study. Data were obtained on all scales
from 78 at-risk university students and 22 regular (or normal) students, as all
scales either make claims about or have existing data on these two different
types of subjects. Other background data were also collected. A Manova on the
13 variables for which data were obtained found significant profile differences
between the two groups of subjects as theory and the literature predicted at
the 0.01 level. The trait-state two factor structure of Synder's Hope scale was
found except the structure was orthogonal in at-risk students as opposed to the
oblique structure Synder found in normals. The same strong results were
obtained for Schiever and Carver's Optimism scale which additionally resolved
an outstanding interpetability issue with this scale. Hypothesized factor
structures were not obtained for the self-efficacy or the locus of control
scales and both scales best fit the trait-sate model, which contradicts
Bandura's and other prevailing view of these two variables, but supports the
results found by Bandalos et al. [2].
