SELF-REGULATORY ASPECTS OF POSITIVE ILLUSIONS

描述（申请人摘要）：先前的研究表明， 积极的错觉（自我夸大的自我认知， 控制，不切实际的乐观）与心理指标有关。 健康 本申请提出了一个实验研究方案， 检查这些错觉的好处和责任。 操作是 提出了可靠地增强积极的错觉：他们对 毅力、动机、表现和心理调整将是 评估（研究1-2，8-10）。 该研究还探讨了潜在的 积极幻想的局限性。 具体来说，如果人们持有它们， 他们是否将有价值的反馈和负面信息纳入他们的 决定和行动方针？ 拟议的研究测试的假设 人们通过深思熟虑来接受负面反馈， 这些过程大大减少了积极的错觉（研究3-4）。 我们 我还提议进行一项调查， 在整个项目过程中的错觉（研究5），预测， 错觉是对反馈的反应，使人们在他们的现实。 在功能正常的时候思考。 当阳性时会发生什么 幻想被否定了吗 我们研究了被否定的 在最初无症状的艾滋病毒感染男同性恋者的样本中， 要么持有积极的幻想，要么没有，健康要么恶化， 而不是在随后的研究过程中（研究6）。 的批评者 积极的错觉框架表明，它们代表着压抑， 以一种表面上健康的伪装否认。 研究7提出了一个深入的 问卷调查和访谈研究，120名成年人测试两种模式， 心理健康和经验区分否认或压抑， 积极的幻想 在最后三项研究（研究8-10）中，我们采用 操纵积极的幻想，试图提高人们的能力， 科普某些生活问题，特别是拖延，贫穷 规划和抑郁

DESCRIPTION (Applicant's Abstract): Previous research suggests that positive illusions (self-aggrandizing self-perceptions, the illusion of control, and unrealistic optimism) are associated with indicators of mental health. This application proposes a program of experimental research to examine the benefits and liabilities of these illusions. Manipulations are proposed that reliably enhance positive illusions: their effects on persistence, motivation, performance, and psychological adjustment will be assessed (Studies 1-2, 8-10). The research also addresses the potential limitations of positive illusions. Specifically, if people hold them, how do they incorporate valuable feedback and negative information into their decisions and courses of action? Proposed research tests the hypothesis that people incorporate negative feedback by virtue of deliberative processes that substantially reduce positive illusions (Studies 3-4). We also propose an investigation that charts the ebb and flow of positive illusions across the course of a project (Study 5), predicting that illusions are responsive to feedback, making people realistic in their thinking at times when that is functional. What happens when positive illusions are disconfirmed? We examine the effects of disconfirmed illusions in a sample of initially asymptomatic HIV infected gay men who either hold positive illusions or not and whose heath either deteriorates or not over the subsequent course of the study (Study 6). Critics of the positive illusions framework suggest that they represent repression or denial in an apparently healthy guise. Study 7 proposes an in-depth questionnaire and interview study with 120 adults to test two models of mental health and distinguish empirically between denial or repression and positive illusions. In the last three studies (Studies 8-10), we employ manipulations of positive illusions to try to improve people's ability to cope with certain life problems, specifically procrastination, poor planning, and depression.