weinstein notion of unrealistic optimism

#Weinstein notion of unrealistic optimism trial#

Optimism bias is extremely common in health-related situations, driving us to carry out unhealthy behaviours despite our knowledge of the potential dangers. This altered perception illustrates a false sense of security that arises based on sharing a risk with many other people. In other words, an individual’s perceived risk decreases as the number of people who are exposed to the same risk increases. Interestingly, our perceptions of risk – and our optimism bias – are also influenced by the number of people who are exposed to the same risk. While this appears to be a sensible basis for such decisions, optimism bias skews this perceived risk. Perceived risk is a key determinant of whether or not we engage in preventative health behaviours. This idea was first demonstrated in 1980 by Human Ecology Professor Neil Weinstein, who found that the majority of college students in his study believed they had a lower chance of divorce or developing a drinking problem than that of other students. These are all examples of ‘unrealistic optimism bias’ – the unfounded belief that your chances of encountering a negative event are lower than that of other people. “I’m not going to adhere to lockdown measures during a pandemic, but I won’t get COVID-19.” “I’m overweight, but I won’t develop diabetes.” Optimism Bias and Health Behaviour: “It won’t happen to me!”īy healthpsychologyconsultancy on Ma

1 (2011): 1-8.Home › Behaviour › Optimism Bias and Health Behaviour: “It won’t happen to me!” Sulmasy, “Unrealistic Optimism in Early-Phase Oncology Trials,” IRB: Ethics & Human Research 33, no. Key words/concepts: unrealistic optimism, informed consent to research, risks and benefits to research participants, clinical trials

Our findings suggest that improving the consent process for oncology studies requires more than addressing deficits in understanding. In addition, we found no significant relationship between respondents’ understanding of the trial’s purpose and how susceptible they were to unrealistic optimism.

#Weinstein notion of unrealistic optimism trial#

Respondents tended to overestimate the benefits of the trial they were enrolled in and underestimate its risks. We found a significant optimistic bias in their responses. Participants in our study were asked to compare their own chances of experiencing a range of risks and benefits related to the trial they were enrolled in with the chances of the other trial participants. In order to test for the prevalence of unrealistic optimism among participants of early-phase oncology trials, we conducted a survey with patients over 18 years of age who were enrolled in a phase I, phase I/II, or phase II clinical cancer trial in the New York City area between August 2008 and October 2009. The phenomenon has been seen in a range of health-related contexts-including when prospective participants are presented with the risks and benefits of participating in a clinical trial. Unrealistic optimism is a bias that leads people to believe, with respect to a specific event or hazard, that they are more likely to experience positive outcomes and/or less likely to experience negative outcomes than similar others.

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