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Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin, Vol. 23, No. 6, 617-625 (1997)
DOI: 10.1177/0146167297236005
© 1997 Society for Personality and Social Psychology, Inc.

Optimism and Unrealistic Optimism have an Interacting Impact on Health-Promoting Behavior and Knowledge Changes

Karina Davidson

University of Alabama, kdavids{at}gp.as.ua.edu

Kenneth Prkachin

University of Northern British Columbia

A general predisposition toward hopefulness (optimism) and a negation of relative risk of later health problems (unrealistic optimism) have both been thought to predict health-promoting behavior, albeit in differing directions. In Study 1 (n = 72), unrealistic optimism and optimism interacted to predict changes in exercise behavior across 6 weeks; those high on both dimensions showed the largest decrease in their reports of exercise. In Study 2 (n = 60), those high on both dimensions showed the smallest increase in their coronary heart disease (CHD) prevention knowledge after attending a CH1D prevention lecture. The results support the discriminant validity of the two optimism personality constructs while also implicating their joint importance as determinants of health-promoting behaviors.


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