TITLE:
One-Dimensionality, Reliability, Distribution, and Correlates of the Brief Interactive Optimism Scale among University Teachers
AUTHORS:
José Moral de la Rubia, Adrián Valle de la O, Jesús Alfonso Beltran-Sanchez
KEYWORDS:
Optimism, Psychometric Properties, Affective Balance, Emotional Exhaustion, University Teachers
JOURNAL NAME:
Open Journal of Medical Psychology,
Vol.14 No.1,
January
21,
2025
ABSTRACT: The Brief Interactive Optimism Scale (BIOS-G), recently published, was developed to measure optimism based on the interactive personality styles theory in the general population of Mexican adults. It has been validated in both the general population in Mexico and other Latin American countries. This study aims to further consolidate the validity of the BIOS-G in a specific population. The objectives are to assess the psychometric properties of its items, validate its unidimensional structure, describe its distribution, verify its internal consistency, and examine its direct relationship with affective balance and positive affect, as well as its inverse relationship with emotional exhaustion and negative affect among Mexican university teachers. The BIOS-G, the CESQT emotional exhaustion subscale, and Scale of Positive and Negative Experience (SPANE) were administered to a non-probability sample of 213 Mexican university teachers. All items demonstrated discriminative power and internal consistency. The scale showed internal consistency (Green-Yang ordinal ω = 0.74 and McDonald ordinal ω = 0.88). The one-factor model presented good to acceptable fit to the data, with an average variance extracted of 0.65. Its distribution was negatively skewed and mesokurtic. The BIOS-G correlated directly with SPANE’s affective balance and positive emotional experiences and inversely with negative emotional experiences and emotional exhaustion, with moderate strengths of association. Its mean score was higher in men than in women and correlated positively with age. It is concluded that the BIOS-G demonstrates internal consistency and validity evidence among Mexican university teachers, and its use in this specific population is recommended.