The relativity of unrealistic optimism.
The influence of the interaction between the valence of a future event and its perceived controllability on the degree of unrealistic optimism (UO) was tested. It was hypothesized that participants, while comparing themselves to an unknown comparison-target, will assign higher occurrence probabilities for positive-controllable events, and lower occurrence probabilities for negative events to themselves, than respective probabilities assigned to a vague comparison-target. It was further hypothesized that in the case of positive-uncontrollable events the probabilities assigned to oneself might be equal or even lower than those assigned to a comparison-target. These hypotheses were supported in a study in which 62 high school students assigned occurrence probabilities to 12 relevant future events representing 4 categories of events, i.e., positive events perceived as controllable or uncontrollable, and negative events perceived as controllable or uncontrollable. The findings are discussed in terms of cognitive and motivational processes.
Zakay
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Department of Psychology, Tel-Aviv University, Ramat-Av iv, Israel. dzakay@ccsg.tau.ac.il
D000328:Adult; D001290:Attitude; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008016:Life Change Events; D008297:Male; D012649:Self Concept