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Unrealistic Optimism Bias01:30

Unrealistic Optimism Bias

Unrealistic optimism bias is the tendency to overestimate the likelihood of positive outcomes. This cognitive bias makes individuals believe they are less likely to experience failures, setbacks, or risks and more likely to succeed than others. For example, people may assume they are less prone to health issues, accidents, or financial struggles than their peers, even when they share similar risk factors.One key component of this bias is the above-average effect, where individuals perceive...
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Magical Thinking01:29

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Magical thinking encompasses the belief in assumptions that defy logical reasoning yet appear intuitively convincing. It is a common psychological phenomenon that persists across various cultural and individual contexts. While these assumptions contradict empirical evidence and scientific laws, they often serve meaningful psychological roles in promoting emotional resilience and a sense of control, especially under stress or uncertainty.Thought-Action Fusion and the Law of SimilarityA key...
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Related Experiment Video

Updated: May 18, 2026

Errors as a Means of Reducing Impulsive Food Choice
07:07

Errors as a Means of Reducing Impulsive Food Choice

Published on: June 5, 2016

Desire for control and optimistic time predictions.

Torleif Halkjelsvik1, Maren Rognaldsen, Karl Halvor Teigen

  • 1University of Oslo, Norway. t.b.halkjelsvik@psykologi.uio.no

Scandinavian Journal of Psychology
|October 3, 2012
PubMed
Summary

People high in the desire for control make more optimistic time predictions, especially when rewarded. This effect holds even for uncontrollable tasks, suggesting a personality-driven bias in time perception.

Related Experiment Videos

Last Updated: May 18, 2026

Errors as a Means of Reducing Impulsive Food Choice
07:07

Errors as a Means of Reducing Impulsive Food Choice

Published on: June 5, 2016

Area of Science:

  • Psychology
  • Cognitive Science
  • Personality Psychology

Background:

  • Individual differences in time perception are understudied.
  • Previous research links perceived control and power to optimistic predictions.

Purpose of the Study:

  • Investigate the role of the personality trait Desirability of Control (DOC) in time predictions.
  • Examine the interaction between DOC and reward conditions on performance time predictions.

Main Methods:

  • Two experiments were conducted involving participants with varying levels of DOC.
  • Participants' predictions of performance time were assessed under different reward conditions.

Main Results:

  • An interaction was found between DOC and reward conditions.
  • Individuals with high DOC made more optimistic time predictions when motivated by rewards, compared to those with low DOC.
  • This effect persisted even for tasks that were objectively uncontrollable.

Conclusions:

  • Desirability of Control significantly influences optimistic time predictions.
  • The findings extend previous research on power and optimism, offering explanations beyond simple task controllability.