Degree Name

BS

Department

Psychology

College

Family, Home, and Social Sciences

Defense Date

2020-03-06

Publication Date

2020-03-19

First Faculty Advisor

Dr. Scott Braithwaite

First Faculty Reader

Dr. Jared Warren

Honors Coordinator

Dr. Bruce Brown

Keywords

Optimism, College Students, Mental Health, Depression, Anxiety, Collegiate Optimism

Abstract

The Collegiate Optimism Orientation Test (COOT) was designed to provide a more specific and accurate understanding of an individual’s optimism in a collegiate setting. The current study investigates the reliability and validity of the COOT in order to demonstrate its usefulness as a measure of optimism in college students and examines the relationship between optimism and both mental health and GPA. Participants were gathered using online survey websites, one of which was specific for students at Brigham Young University specifically and the other of which was open to any college student in the United States. Participants took a survey consisting of the COOT and various other optimism and mental health related measures. The COOT was found to be a valid and reliable measure of optimism among college students. Correlations found between the COOT and mental health were consistent with past research on optimism and mental health. Additionally, optimism, as measured by the COOT, was found to be significantly correlated to GPA.

Handle

http://hdl.lib.byu.edu/1877/uht0112

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