Optimism and Socioeconomic Status: A Cross-Cultural Study

This research examined the relationship between optimism and socioeconomic status (SES) in a sample (N=245) of Anglo- and Mexican-Americans. Study I found small but significant correlations between both situational (measured by the Generalized Expectancy for Success Scale-Revised; GESS-R) and dispositional optimism (measured by the Life Orientation Test; LOT) and SES. Correlations were stronger for Anglo-Americans than for the sample as a whole and were not statistically significant for Mexican-American subjects. Study 2 used a purely Mexican-American sample (N=254), performed exploratory factor analysis on both the LOT and GESS-R, and correlated the rotated factor scores with SES. A GESS-R factor involving themes of social interaction correlated positively with SES (r=.17). Results are interpreted in terms of cultural differences between the two ethnic groups, particularly in light of the collectivist/individualist culture dichotomy.