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Effect of dispositional optimism on comparative risk perceptions for developing AIDS

K R Fontaine1

  • 1Department of Psychology, University of Central Lancashire, Preston, UK.

Psychological Reports
|June 1, 1994
PubMed
Summary
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Optimism and pessimism influence AIDS risk perception. Both optimists and pessimists perceive their personal risk of developing AIDS as lower than the average student, with no significant differences between the groups.

Area of Science:

  • Psychology
  • Health Psychology
  • Risk Perception

Background:

  • Individual differences in optimism-pessimism may affect health-related risk assessments.
  • Understanding these differences is crucial for public health interventions, particularly concerning diseases like AIDS.
  • Previous research has not fully explored the link between dispositional optimism/pessimism and comparative risk perception for AIDS.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To examine how dispositional optimism and pessimism influence the perception of AIDS risk.
  • To compare how optimists and pessimists estimate their personal risk versus the average university student's risk of developing AIDS.

Main Methods:

  • 104 university students completed the Life Orientation Test (LOT) to assess dispositional optimism-pessimism.

Related Experiment Videos

  • Participants estimated the likelihood of developing AIDS for themselves and for the average university student.
  • Subjects were categorized as optimists or pessimists based on a median split of LOT scores.

    • Main Results:

    • Both dispositional optimists and pessimists perceived their personal likelihood of developing AIDS as significantly lower than that of the average university student.
    • No significant differences were found between optimists and pessimists regarding their comparative risk perception for AIDS.
    • This suggests a general tendency for biased risk assessment regardless of optimism or pessimism levels.

    Conclusions:

    • Dispositional optimism-pessimism does not significantly alter comparative risk perception for AIDS among university students.
    • Both optimistic and pessimistic individuals exhibit a self-protective bias, underestimating personal risk relative to peers.
    • Future research should explore other psychological factors that may mediate risk perception for serious health conditions like AIDS.