WHAT IS UNREALISTIC OPTIMISM? WEINSTEIN (1980) Flashcards
(9 cards)
What is unrealistic optimism (opimism bias)?
A cognitive bias where people believe they are less likely than others to experience negative events and more likely to experience positive ones.
Why is unrealistic optimism problematic?
P – Prevention ignored (people neglect health screenings, vaccines, etc.)
R – Risky behavior increases (e.g., smoking, unsafe sex)
I – Illness help delayed (symptoms dismissed or untreated)
D – Denial of vulnerability (believing “it won’t happen to me”)
E – Effectiveness of campaigns reduced (health warnings are ignored)
PRIDE
What was the aim of Weinstein (1980) study?
To investigate whether people exhibit unrealistic optimism about their chances of experiencing future life events, both positive and negative.
What method did Weinstein (1980)?
self-report questionnaire
Describe the sample?
- Diverse college students (attended Cook University, Australia)
Summarise the procedure?
- Questionnaire- Ppts were given a list of life events (24 negative and 18 positive)
- Instructions- The were instructed to rate the liklihood of each event happening to them compared to other students at the same college (same age/gender)
- The choices range from- 100%, 80%, 60% less or 100%, 80%, 60% more.
- Ppts were also asked to consider the intensity of the outcomes, percieved probability, personal experince, periceved stereotype about the type of person who are likely to be affected.
What were the results of the study?
1) Desirability Affects Judgement: Students judged desirable events (like traveling through Europe) as more likely to happen to them than undesirable ones (like being fired from a job).
2) Personal Experience Increases Likelihood: If students had personal experience with an event (like having travelled before), they judged that event as more likely to happen to them in the future.
3) Controllability and Negative Events: Students judged negative events that they felt were more controllable (like being fired from a job, if you could prevent it) as less likely to happen to them.
What was the conclusion of the stduy?
People display optimism bias, underestimating their personal risk of negative outcomes and overestimating their chances of positive ones.
This has real-world implications for health behavior, as it may reduce motivation to take preventive action.
Name 1 strength and 1 weakness of the study?
Strength (high reliability): Controlled use of standardised questionnaire ensured consistent data collection across ppts.
Weakness (generalisability): Ppts were mostly college students, which limits the generalizability of the findings to the wider population (older adults, different cultures)
