Basics of social cognitive and affective neuroscience.
XXIII. Optimism
Authors:
F. Koukolík
Authors‘ workplace:
Primář: MUDr. František Koukolík DrSc
; Národní referenční laboratoř prionových chorob
; Thomayerova nemocnice, Praha
; Oddělení patologie a molekulární medicíny
Published in:
Prakt. Lék. 2012; 92(9): 487-490
Category:
Editorial
Overview
Optimism is defined both as the overestimation of the probability of pozitive future events and the underestimation of the probability of future negative events. Our assessments of our own future are often unrealistically optimistic despite the fact that we like to think of ourselves as rational creatures. Unrealistic optimism is a pervasive human trait that in a substantial number of people perhaps influences every facet of their experience and behavior. One possibility of maintaining unrealistic optimism despite the prevailing experience could be an evolutionary coded asymmetry of belief updating which has a neural correlate.
Key words:
optimism, belief updating, neural correlate
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2012 Issue 9
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