Optimism, religiosity, and neuroticism: a cross-cultural study

This study examined the relationship among dispositional and situational optimism, cognitive religiosity, and neuroticism in a sample of Mexican-Americans, Anglo-Americans, and Mexican nationals. Participants (N = 295) completed the Life Orientation Test (LOT), the Revised Generalized Expectancy for Success Scale (GESS-R), the short-form N scale of the Eysenck Personality Questionnaire—Revised, and a measure of cognitive religiosity. Multiple regression tested a path model in which religiosity was hypothesized to predict optimism and both religiosity and optimism were hypothesized to predict neuroticism. Only in the Mexican-American sample did the model yield results consistent with predictions. Substantially different results appeared in the Anglo-American and Mexican national samples. Results are interpreted in terms of cultural differences.