Realistic Optimism Scale

Do you see the world through rose-colored glasses, or is there a sprinkle of caution in your optimism? Take this test and find out.

By Mark Travers, Ph.D. | January 15, 2024

Optimism is the tendency to hold a positive outlook and expect the best possible outcome in any given situation. It involves a belief in the power of positive thinking and a confidence in one's abilities to navigate life's challenges. While this is a great mindset to have, being blindly optimistic about achieving your goals can lead to unrealistic expectations that are difficult to manage.

The Realistic Optimism Scale is a 12-item test designed to help you understand your outlook towards life–whether you're an optimist who sees the world in a positive light, or if your optimism is tempered with a dose of realism.

You can take this test here. Please follow all of the steps to receive your results.

Step 1: Rate the statements below, from strongly agree to strongly disagree, based on how they resonate with you.

1. After an unpleasant experience, I move on immediately.

2. I rarely feel anxious and frightened over little details.

3. I am positive about everything.

4. Even if I fail, I am quick to recover from it.

5. There is hope in my life.

6. I rarely tend to think about the past.

7. I am not worried about little things.

8. I take on challenges by my own will.

9. I have dreams and aspirations in life.

10. One thing going wrong doesn’t mean that other things will go wrong as well.

11. I think difficulties or hardships are rewarding in their own way.

12. I have goals for the future.

Step 2: Enter your age, gender, region, and first name so we can provide you with a detailed report that compares your test scores to people similar to you.

What is your age?

What is your gender?

What region of the world do you live in?

What is your first name?

Step 3: Check to make sure you've provided answers to all of the statements/questions above. Once you've done that, click the button below to send your responses to Awake Therapy's Lead Psychologist, Mark Travers, Ph.D. He will provide you with an overview of how you scored relative to others (all answers are anonymized and confidential to protect users' privacy). He can also answer any follow-up questions you may have.

References: Nishaat, A. (2021). Development of Realistic Optimism Scale. Contemporary Social Sciences, 30(4).