UNREALISTIC OPTIMISM ABOUT SPECIFIC GENETIC RISKS AND PERCEIVED PREVENTABILITY

Unrealistic optimism about risks concerning genetic and acquired disor ders in a child is investigated within a group of first-year universit y students (Study 1) and a group of adults with a mean age of 32 years (Study 2). Although an optimistic bias is found for each risk, only c ystic fibrosis provides evidence of an effect of information about pre vention (Study 2) and of a positive relation between optimism and perc eived preventability (Study 1 and 2). The absence of relation qualifie s the importance of preventability for the occurrence of unrealistic o ptimism. Moreover, optimism is affected neither by personal (Study 1) or professional (Study 2) experience nor by the perceived influence of heredity (Study 2), leaving the question concerning determinants of o ptimism regarding genetic risks largely unanswered.