Effects of unrealistic optimism and threatening self esteem

Extreme levels of positive illusions can be seen as maladaptive and are indicate of egocentric self-enhancement and narcissism.

Taylor & Brown (1994) argue that these illusions are considered to be mild because an individualвЂ™s social environment only allows and tolerates modest illusions.

вЂSelf-enhancement is a concept from the field of social psychology that is commonly used to describe the predisposition that individuals have вЂњto distort self-appraisals so as to maintain the most favorable self-viewвЂќ. It may be pleasing, harmless or even useful.вЂ™(Stein, 1982, p662). An illusion is a false mental image or conception which may be a misinterpretation of a real appearance or may be something imagined. вЂa perception that represents what is perceived in a way different from the way it is in reality. The following definitions are used for positive illusion: For the purpose of this paper the terms positive illusions and self-enhancement will be used. optimistic bias, illusion of control, perception of control, unrealistic optimism, etc). Research on this subject comes from different fields of psychology in different terminologies (e.g. Most people do not hold accurate perceptions of themselves and the world around them rather they see themselves, the world and the future in a more positive light than is realistically possible. Over the last two decades, research on positive illusions, self-deception and self-enhancement has demonstrated that human thoughts are positively biased and that this bias is traditionally associated with subjective well-beingand mental health (Taylor & Brown 1998 Petersen 2000, Taylor & Lerner 2003). вЂInstead of a naГЇve scientist entering the environment in search of the truth, we find the rather unflattering picture of a charlatan trying to make the data come out in a manner most advantageous to his or her already-held theoriesвЂ™

Effects of unrealistic optimism and threatening self esteem