Ms. Sharot used an imaging machine to examine the brains of subjects while they thought about unpleasant things.
SHIRLEY GRIFFITH: Then the volunteers were told the actual chances of a certain event happening. They were told to think again about their expectations.
The test showed that, in general, people are more optimistic than they should be. The test also showed that people usually think that really bad things happen to other people, not to themselves.
The volunteers thought this way even after they were told the real chances of a certain event. Even after learning those real chances or percentages, they ignored the negative.
Psychologists call this the “optimism bias.” And it can be both a good and a bad thing.
BOB DOUGHTY: Ms. Sharot and her research partners reported their findings in the publication “Nature Neuroscience.” The researchers say that being optimistic can be good for our physical health.
If we look on the bright side, they say we are likely to feel less stress or tension, and less chance of developing depression. However, the researchers also note that being too optimistic can cause problems.
For example, they say that ignoring the negative and thinking more about the positive may have led to the worldwide economic problems of two thousand eight.
SHIRLEY GRIFFITH: Here’s an example: Suppose a person estimates that she has a thirty percent chance of getting cancer. She estimates that three people out of ten will get the disease. If she is told that the true chances of getting sick are only twenty percent, she is likely to lower the estimate for her chances of getting cancer.
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2013-11-25
2013-11-25
2013-11-25
2013-11-25
2013-11-25
2013-11-25