What is unrealistic optimism?
Here we consider the nature of unrealistic optimism and other related positive illusions. We are interested in whether cognitive states that are unrealistically optimistic are belief states, whether they are false, and whether they are epistemically irrational. We also ask to what extent unrealistically optimistic cognitive states are fixed. Based on the classic and recent empirical literature on unrealistic optimism, we offer some preliminary answers to these questions, thereby laying the foundations for answering further questions about unrealistic optimism, such as whether it has biological, psychological, or epistemic benefits.
University of Birmingham, Department of Philosophy, ERI Building, Birmingham B15 2TT, United Kingdom. Electronic address: a.jefferson@bham.ac.uk.
Anneli
A
Jefferson
University of Birmingham, Department of Philosophy, ERI Building, Birmingham B15 2TT, United Kingdom. Electronic address: l.bortolotti@bham.ac.uk.
Lisa
L
Bortolotti
Max Planck Institute for Metabolism Research, Translational Neurocircuitry Group, Gleuelerstr. 50, 50931 Cologne, Germany. Electronic address: bojana.kuzmanovic@sf.mpg.de.
Bojana
B
Kuzmanovic
D006801:Humans; D007088:Illusions / Q000523:psychology*; D000067656:Optimism / Q000523:psychology*
Belief update; Irrationality; Optimism bias; Positive illusions; Unrealistic optimism