Concern for Others Leads to Vicarious Optimism

• DOI: 10.31234/osf.io/na9db
• Publication Date: 2018-07-02T13:28:43Z
• Authors: Andreas Kappes; Molly Crockett; Nadira Sophie Faber; Julian Savulescu; Guy Kahane
• Keywords: Male; PsyArXiv|Social and Behavioral Sciences|Social and Personality Psychology|Intragroup Processes; PsyArXiv|Social and Behavioral Sciences|Social and Personality Psychology|Social Cognition; PsyArXiv|Social and Behavioral Sciences|Social and Personality Psychology|Personality and Creativity; PsyArXiv|Social and Behavioral Sciences|Social and Personality Psychology|Theories of Personality; open data; Social and Behavioral Sciences; preregistered; PsyArXiv|Social and Behavioral Sciences|Social and Personality Psychology|Moral Behavior; Psychology; PsyArXiv|Social and Behavioral Sciences|Social and Personality Psychology|Testing and Assessment; PsyArXiv|Social and Behavioral Sciences|Social and Personality Psychology; PsyArXiv|Social and Behavioral Sciences|Social and Personality Psychology|Self-regulation; Research Articles; PsyArXiv|Social and Behavioral Sciences|Social and Personality Psychology|Motivational Behavior; PsyArXiv|Social and Behavioral Sciences|Social and Personality Psychology|Prejudice and Discrimination; PsyArXiv|Social and Behavioral Sciences|Social and Personality Psychology|Well-being; 0303 health sciences; PsyArXiv|Social and Behavioral Sciences|Social and Personality Psychology|Social Influence; other-regarding preferences; PsyArXiv|Social and Behavioral Sciences|Social and Personality Psychology|Affect and Emotion Regulation; Middle Aged; PsyArXiv|Social and Behavioral Sciences|Social and Personality Psychology|Social Well-being; PsyArXiv|Social and Behavioral Sciences|Social and Personality Psychology|Intergroup Processes; FOS: Psychology; bepress|Social and Behavioral Sciences|Psychology|Social Psychology; PsyArXiv|Social and Behavioral Sciences|Social and Personality Psychology|Self and Social Identity; bepress|Social and Behavioral Sciences|Psychology|Personality and Social Contexts; Female; PsyArXiv|Social and Behavioral Sciences|Social and Personality Psychology|Attitudes and Persuasion; Adult; 330; Social Psychology; PsyArXiv|Social and Behavioral Sciences|Social and Personality Psychology|Politics; PsyArXiv|Social and Behavioral Sciences|Social and Personality Psychology|Individual Differences; PsyArXiv|Social and Behavioral Sciences|Social and Personality Psychology|Nonverbal Behavior; PsyArXiv|Social and Behavioral Sciences|Social and Personality Psychology|Interventions; PsyArXiv|Social and Behavioral Sciences|Social and Personality Psychology|Narrative Research; BF; PsyArXiv|Social and Behavioral Sciences|Social and Personality Psychology|Diversity; learning bias; PsyArXiv|Social and Behavioral Sciences|Social and Personality Psychology|Genetic factors; 03 medical and health sciences; PsyArXiv|Social and Behavioral Sciences|Social and Personality Psychology|Interpersonal Relationships; PsyArXiv|Social and Behavioral Sciences|Social and Personality Psychology|Personality and Situations; Bias; PsyArXiv|Social and Behavioral Sciences|Social and Personality Psychology|Personality Processes; PsyArXiv|Social and Behavioral Sciences|Social and Personality Psychology|Impression Formation; Humans; Learning; PsyArXiv|Social and Behavioral Sciences|Social and Personality Psychology|Violence and Aggression; PsyArXiv|Social and Behavioral Sciences|Social and Personality Psychology|Disability; PsyArXiv|Social and Behavioral Sciences|Social and Personality Psychology|Achievement and Status; PsyArXiv|Social and Behavioral Sciences|Social and Personality Psychology|Prosocial Behavior; Optimism; open materials; PsyArXiv|Social and Behavioral Sciences|Social and Personality Psychology|Self-esteem; optimism; PsyArXiv|Social and Behavioral Sciences; altruism; PsyArXiv|Social and Behavioral Sciences|Social and Personality Psychology|Sexuality; PsyArXiv|Social and Behavioral Sciences|Social and Personality Psychology|Cultural Differences; PsyArXiv|Social and Behavioral Sciences|Social and Personality Psychology|Trait Theory; bepress|Social and Behavioral Sciences; PsyArXiv|Social and Behavioral Sciences|Social and Personality Psychology|Religion and Spirituality

An optimistic learning bias leads people to update their beliefs in response to better-than-expected “good news”, but neglect worse-than-expected “bad news”. Because evidence suggests this bias arises from self-concern, we hypothesized that a similar bias may affect beliefs about others’ future, to the extent that people care about others. Here, we demonstrate the phenomenon of vicarious optimism and show that it arises from concern for others. Participants predicted the likelihood of unpleasant future events that could happen to either themselves or others. In addition to showing an optimistic learning bias for events affecting themselves, people showed vicarious optimism when learning about events affecting friends and strangers. Vicarious optimism for strangers correlated with generosity toward strangers, and experimentally increasing concern for strangers amplified vicarious optimism for them. These findings suggest that concern for others can bias beliefs about their future welfare and that optimism in learning is not restricted to oneself.