Weinstein

Question 1

Year

Answer 1

2006

Question 2

What can this study be used for?

Answer 2

• Discuss health beliefs as determinants of health.
• Risks

Question 3

Aim

Answer 3

Aimed to examine the optimism bias regarding different health conditions

Question 4

Aim

Answer 4

Aimed to examine the optimism bias regarding different health conditions

Question 5

Sample

Answer 5

88 undergraduate psychology students

Question 6

Experimental design

Answer 6

Questionnaire

Question 7

Procedure

Answer 7

• Participants were asked to fill out a questionnaire regarding eleven health factors, such as diabetes, alcoholism, lung cancer etc.
• They were asked to rate their perceived likelihood of developing these conditions and the level of worry.
• There were three group conditions: the** control group** simply filled out the questionnaire,** own-risk group (OR) **was told that they’d be filling out a questionnaire on various factors that influence the risk in health and informational group were shown a list of risk factors and typical male and female answers to the questions.

Question 8

Results

Answer 8

• OR group was the least concerned about taking precaution and a high level of optimism bias
• control group, which underestimated their levels of risk but had high levels of worry with low interest in prevention.
• IR group had the most realistic estimates of their level of risk. No pattern of worry or attitude toward prevention was established.
  The study shows that merely rating oneself on risk factors substantially increased optimism bias, which may affect health behaviors: individuals aren’t interested in precautionary measures, hence possibly making it more likely that sometime in the future they’d develop a health condition. It also showed that a key to influencing health beliefs may be education as the IR group estimated their levels of risk realistically.

Question 9

Evaluation