A secondary analysis examining the performance of the State Optimism Measure (SOM) compared to the Life Orientation Test-Revised (LOT-R) in measuring optimism over time.

Optimism is an important factor impacting health and human functioning. Originally conceptualized as a trait, increasing evidence indicates that optimism can change over time and could be an intervention target. Measures are needed that can capture changes in optimism. In this secondary analysis, we compared the performance of a newly developed state measure, the State Optimism Measure (SOM), to the widely used trait measure, the Life Orientation Test-Revised (LOT-R), in detecting changes over time during a disruptive life event: the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic in the United States. Participants (n = 81) were nondaily smokers participating in a smoking cessation intervention, who completed the SOM and LOT-R before and after the initial COVID-19 outbreak. Optimism declined from pre- to post-COVID-19 outbreak, as assessed by both scales (LOT-R: =.0147,=0.23; SOM: <.0001,=0.56). The change detected was greater when measured by the SOM (<.0001). Changes in optimism were correlated with concurrent changes in perceived stress, positive affect, and negative affect. Our results suggest that the SOM has a greater sensitivity to detect within-person changes in optimism than the LOT-R and highlight the SOM's utility for longitudinal studies assessing changes in optimism.