Author:

Keywords:

Social Sciences, Psychology, Applied, Psychology, interpretation of verbal probabilities, risk communication, comparative optimism, unrealistic optimism, self-other differences, UNREALISTIC OPTIMISM, NEGATIVE CHARACTERISTICS, VERBAL PROBABILITIES, PERCEIVED PREVALENCE, BASE RATE, HEALTH, EXPRESSIONS, ILLUSION, UNCERTAIN, SEVERITY, Social Psychology, 3506 Marketing, 3507 Strategy, management and organisational behaviour, 5204 Cognitive and computational psychology

Abstract:

Two studies tested whether people interpreted verbal chance terms in a self-serving manner. Participants read statements describing the likelihood of events in their own future and in the future of a randomly chosen other. They interpreted the chance terms numerically. Chance terms were interpreted as denoting a higher probability when they were used to describe the likelihood of pleasant events in one's own future than when they were used to describe the likelihood of pleasant events in someone else's future (Study 1). Similarly, chance terms were interpreted as denoting a lower probability when they were used to describe the likelihood of unpleasant events in one's own future than when they were used to describe the likelihood of unpleasant events in someone else's future (Studies 1 and 2). These differences occurred primarily when the risk statements were threatening. Copyright © 2005 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.