Unrealistic optimism about future life events
Weinstein asked 258 college students in a first study to compare their own chances of 42 life events with the chances of their classmates. On average the students rated their chances above average for positive events and below average for negative events. The abstract reports that five factors were predicted to shape the amount of optimistic bias, namely desirability, perceived probability, personal experience, perceived controllability and stereotype salience, and that the predictions were supported. A second study asked students to list the factors behind their chances for eight events, and a second group read those lists and rated their own chances.
Weinstein asked 258 college students in a first study to compare their own chances of 42 life events with the chances of their classmates. On average the students rated their chances above average for positive events and below average for negative events. The abstract reports that five factors were predicted to shape the amount of optimistic bias, namely desirability, perceived probability, personal experience, perceived controllability and stereotype salience, and that the predictions were supported. A second study asked students to list the factors behind their chances for eight events, and a second group read those lists and rated their own chances.
Written from the abstract, via a catalogue record and Crossref bibliographic record, 2026-11-03.
What our sources record
Recorded when this source was checked, figures included, with page references and quotation marks removed.
Weinstein, N. D. (1980). Unrealistic optimism about future life events. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 39(5), 806-820. doi:10.1037/0022-3514.39.5.806 https://doi.org/10.1037/0022-3514.39.5.806