Although optimism bias comes from positive events (for example, believing that you are financially more successful than others) and negative events (for example, you are less likely to have alcohol problems), there is more research and evidence that the bias is stronger. Negative events (valency) effect). Studies have shown that people are less optimistic when they are negative, but are more optimistic when they are positive. Although researchers try to help people reduce their optimistic biases, especially by promoting healthy lifestyles and reducing risky behaviors, they find that reducing or eliminating prejudice is actually very difficult. In studies that included the following actions to reduce optimism bias, researchers found that these attempts were rare, such as educating participants about risk factors, encouraging volunteers to consider high-risk examples, educating participants and explaining why they are at risk middle. What did they give. This has changed, and in some cases even increased optimism bias. [Sources: 4, 10]
Moreover, surveying people in these demographic groups could be considered more “rational” as their beliefs are more factual, with less optimism bias and pessimistic bias. In addition, research is needed to find out if more positive moods can protect populations from the effects of negative emotions without negatively impacting adherence to public health guidelines.31 In addition, in this study, we have demonstrated that older adults, people with higher levels of emotional activity … education and those who worked or studied in a medical-related field tended to be lower in pessimism and magical beliefs. [Sources: 2]
Research is needed to understand whether other cultures with interdependent self-esteem exhibit a lack of optimism bias when assessing the relative risk of experiencing negative and positive events. Unrealistic optimism and pessimism are event-related prejudices, “expressed by individuals, but measured at the group level” (Jansen et al., 2011, p. 2). The opposite of optimistic bias is pessimistic bias (or pessimistic bias), because the principle of optimistic bias continues to apply to situations where people think they are inferior to others. Pessimistic bias is a cognitive bias that causes people to overestimate the possibility of negative events and underestimate the possibility of positive things, especially when it comes to the assumption that future events will produce negative results. [Sources: 1, 6, 10]
Finally, please note that in some cases, people display optimistic biases rather than pessimistic biases, including underestimating the possibility of negative things and overestimating the possibility of positive things. Whether they show a particular bias depends on various factors. People may show optimistic bias in some situations and pessimistic bias in other situations. Optimism bias (or optimism bias) is a cognitive bias that causes someone to believe that they are unlikely to experience negative events. Pessimism can mean focusing on the dark side of a situation or event, expecting negative results, or lacking hope for the future. [Sources: 1, 5, 10]
Although a certain degree of pessimism is necessary and can also play a protective role, excessive pessimism or unbalanced pessimism can lead to poor mental health and may force people to self-discipline, leading to loss of growth and success. Chance. Challenging unrealistic pessimistic ideas, such as “There is no way to get this job” or “No one understands me” can help people realize that some of their pessimistic beliefs are not rooted in reality. For example, it may involve using your pessimism as a motivation to prepare for important future events. [Sources: 1, 5]
Optimism can help entrepreneurs persevere in adversity, but it can also motivate them to take risks regardless of the consequences. The conundrum of optimism bias Optimism bias increases the belief that no matter what good things happen to you, it will happen in your life, but it can also lead to wrong decisions because you are not worried about risks. Optimism bias is actually a misunderstanding that our chances of experiencing negative events are lower than our peers, while our chances of experiencing positive events are higher than our peers. [Sources: 0, 4]
Regulatory models show that optimistic and pessimistic behavioral biases can be adaptive in the face of risk or uncertainty. Some people may also be more prone to bias than pessimism, which means they are more likely to overestimate the likelihood of a negative outcome. Second, as with many similar psychological phenomena, there is considerable variation in how people experience pessimism bias, which means that different people will experience this bias to varying degrees in different situations. As a result, this biased information influences decisions in risky situations in ways that may not be optimal.27 As negative emotions build up, people may rely more on negative evidence about COVID-19 to form their opinion than other data. [Sources: 1, 2, 3, 5]
For example, it can make you overestimate the likelihood that something bad will happen to someone you care about, or overestimate the likelihood that past events will end in negative outcomes. It is believed that the operation of this self-centered bias leads to unrealistic optimism about rare negative events and unrealistic pessimism about frequent negative events. People experience the most optimism bias when they think that events are under the direct control and influence of a person. [Sources: 1, 4, 6]
Non-entrepreneurs are most likely the most irrational because their beliefs are overly pessimistic. I suspect the lesson is that pessimistic prejudice undermines everything that people perceive as the status quo. In the United States, people (oddly) perceive laissez-faire as the status quo, so pessimism helps the government grow. But where government is the status quo, pessimism can and often pushes in the opposite direction. [Sources: 0, 8]
Talking to a friend or loved one who is prone to optimism can open up more optimistic outlooks for the pessimistic person. This study suggests that both pessimism and optimism are essential for human survival, and that the connection between the left and right brain hemispheres can help people find a healthy balance between pessimistic and optimistic views. As for the optimistic bias, when people are confronted with the average person, regardless of whether they are of the same gender or age, the target is still seen as less human and less personalized, leading to less favorable comparisons between themselves and others. … Third, this “negative bias” is further reinforced in the age of social media. [Sources: 5, 9, 10]
Optimism bias is widespread and transcends gender, race, nationality, and age. In a study in which participants directly compared probability estimates, respondents in Japan and the United States showed unrealistic optimism about rare negative events and unrealistically pessimistic attitudes toward frequently occurring negative events ( Rose et al., 2008). In a study in which participants directly compared probability estimates, respondents in Japan and the United States showed unrealistic optimism about rare negative events and unrealistically pessimistic attitudes toward frequently occurring negative events ( Rose et al., 2008). [Sources: 6, 10]
There is more evidence that the base interest rate is biased towards optimistic/pessimistic positive development. Analysis shows that this effect is partly due to self-centered bias and partly due to lack of self-improvement bias. Compared with participants working in other working groups, participants working in the medical field had better overall scores in terms of optimistic bias, pessimistic bias, magical beliefs, and conspiracy theory beliefs (1129.96, 1029.56, 1072.57, and 1057.59, respectively). Low. (P value <0.01). [Sources: 2, 6, 7]
— Slimane Zouggari
##### Sources #####
[0]: https://hbr.org/2014/02/entrepreneurs-dont-have-an-optimism-bias-you-have-a-pessimism-bias
[1]: https://effectiviology.com/pessimism-bias/
[2]: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8103486/
[3]: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2352154616301875
[4]: https://www.verywellmind.com/what-is-the-optimism-bias-2795031
[5]: https://www.goodtherapy.org/blog/psychpedia/pessimism
[6]: https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpsyg.2013.00006/full
[7]: https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/01461672012712006
[8]: https://www.econlib.org/archives/2007/07/the_consequence.html
[9]: https://www.brookings.edu/blog/future-development/2019/06/13/why-are-we-so-pessimistic/
[10]: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Optimism_bias
[11]: https://psychology.fandom.com/wiki/Pessimism_bias