Taylor and Brown (1988) and others have suggested that positive illusions such as optimistic bias are normal and promote mental health and psychological well-being without compromising physical health. Others have argued, however, that such illusions are maladaptive vis a vis physical health because they lead to complacency regarding the potential negative consequences of engaging in risk behaviors and failure to adopt precautionary behaviors (cf., Baumeister, 1989). The proposed research is designed to conduct a series of three experimental studies of the effects of self-serving, esteem- maintaining cognitive strategies, the conditions under which these strategies are employed and an intervention designed to decrease their use. Study 1 will address the question of whether the self-serving cognitive strategies typical of individuals with HSE are associated with maladaptive behavior. More specifically, does the use of these strategies inhibit attention to information about the danger of a health risk behavior, and subsequently inhibit precautionary behavior? Study 2 is designed to investigate the role of reactance in the revelation between consideration of health risk behavior and the use of self-serving strategies. Study 3 will examine the risk of self affirmation (cf.Steele, 1988) to circumvent defensive reactions to information suggesting that one's health behavior is less than optional.
