Date of Defense

4-21-2026

Date of Graduation

5-2026

Department

Psychology

First Advisor

Selim Ozyurek

Second Advisor

Steve Sparks

Abstract

Aviation training programs are widely assumed to cultivate psychological resilience, yet empirical evidence comparing the self-efficacy and dispositional optimism of aviation students with those in non-aviation disciplines remains sparse. This study examined whether aviation students report lower levels of self-efficacy and optimism relative to students pursuing other fields of study and investigated which demographic and academic predictors account for variance in these psychological constructs.

A between-subjects design was employed, and 128 university students completed the General Self-Efficacy Scale (GSE; Schwarzer & Jerusalem, 1995) and the Revised Life Orientation Test (LOT-R; Scheier, Carver, & Bridges, 1994).

Independent samples of t-tests revealed no statistically significant differences between groups on either measure. However, a significant regression model indicated that GSE score was a robust positive predictor of optimism whereas age, gender, college enrollment, and academic standing did not emerge as independent predictors. These findings challenge assumptions about domain-specific differences in positive psychological traits among aviation populations and underscore the primacy of self-efficacy as a determinant of dispositional optimism regardless of field of study.

Access Setting

Honors Thesis-Restricted

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