title: Cognitive bias of optimism and its influence on psychological well-being.
abstract: An investigation of the cognitive bias observed in optimism and the influence of optimism on psychological well-being was conducted. The cognitive bias was assumed to be related to the repressive style of information processing, represented by the trait scale of the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory and the Social Desirability scale. Optimism and well-being were measured by the Life Orientation Test and the Social Optimism scale as well as by the Life Satisfaction and Depression scales, respectively. These scales were applied to a sample of 200 individuals. Trait Anxiety and Social Desirability led to a high multiple correlation with the Life Orientation Test (R = .54) and a moderate multiple correlation with the Social Optimism scale (R = .30). Higher correlations were obtained for the expectation of a positive than of a negative future. Both the Life Orientation Test and the Social Optimism scale contributed to the high multiple correlation with psychological well-being (R = .52).
authors.affiliation: Psychologisches Institut, Albert-Ludwigs-Universität, Germany.
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Schweizer
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Beck-Seyffer
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Schneider
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000339:Affect; D001290:Attitude; D003071:Cognition; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008603:Mental Health; D008875:Middle Aged; D011287:Prejudice; D012928:Social Desirability