DO POSITIVE ILLUSIONS FOSTER MENTAL-HEALTH - AN EXAMINATION OF THE TAYLOR AND BROWN FORMULATION

The proposition recently offered by S.E. Taylor and J.D. Brown (1988) that positive illusions foster mental health has garnered considerable attention and acceptance. However, the significant theoretical and ap plied implications of their view for mental health require a critical evaluation of their argument. An examination of the logic and empirica l evidence used to relate mental health to three key positive illusion s-unrealistically positive views of the self, illusions of control, an d unrealistic optimism-failed to substantiate Taylor and Brown's thesi s. Further survey of more recent studies on positive illusions and men tal health also failed to lend support to the Taylor and Brown general ization. Close consideration of several assumptions underlying the for mulation raises further questions regarding their thesis. The present article concludes that it remains unproven that positive illusions fos ter mental health.