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Published on: September 27, 2020
Positive orientation: explorations on what is common to life satisfaction, self-esteem, and optimism
Gian Vittorio Caprara1, Patrizia Steca, Guido Alessandri
1University of Rome "La Sapienza", Rome, Italy. gianvittorio.caprara@uniromal.it
Aim:
Literature documents that the judgments people hold about themselves, their life, and their future are important ingredients of their psychological functioning and well-being, and are commonly related to each other.
Methods:
We used confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) under the classical test theory, regression analysis, and a cross national design.
Results:
This study provides new findings attesting to the hypothesis that evaluations about oneself, one's life, and one's future rest on a common mode of viewing experiences which we named "Positive Orientation".
Conclusions:
Results from an Italian and a Canadian study are presented, attesting to a latent dimension that lies at the core of positive evaluations and that corroborates the utility of the new construct as a critical component of individuals' well-functioning.
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