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Cited by 7,814Optimism, Hope, and Well-beingPsychological Well-being and Life SatisfactionPersonality Traits and Psychology

The DOI matches its Crossref record; 281 of the 285 references it cites were found in a registry or an index.

Illusion and well‐being: A social psychological perspective on mental health

Taylor, Shelley E., Brown, Jonathon D.·1988·Psychological Bulletin
DOI 10.1037/0033-2909.103.2.193
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Abstract

Many prominent theorists have argued that accurate perceptions of the self, the world, and the future are essential for mental health. Yet considerable research evidence suggests that overly positive selfevaluations, exaggerated perceptions of control or mastery, and unrealistic optimism are characteristic of normal human thought. Moreover, these illusions appear to promote other criteria of mental health, including the ability to care about others, the ability to be happy or contented, and the ability to engage in productive and creative work. These strategies may succeed, in large part, because both the social world and cognitive-processing mechanisms impose filters on incoming information that distort it in a positive direction; negative information may be isolated and represented in as unthreatening a manner as possible. These positive illusions may be especially useful when an individual receives negative feedback or is otherwise threatened and may be especially adaptive under these circumstances. Decades of psychological wisdom have established contact with reality as a hallmark of mental health. In this view, the wcU-adjusted person is thought to engage in accurate reality testing, whereas the individual whose vision is clouded by illusion is regarded as vulnerable to, if not already a victim of, mental illness. Despite its plausibility, this viewpoint is increasingly difficult to maintain (cf. Lazarus, 1983). A substantial amount of research testifies to the prevalence of illusion in normal human

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Crossref · 10.1037/0033-2909.103.2.193

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Metadata

Authors
Taylor, S. E., & Brown, J. D.
ORCID
Brown, Jonathon D.
Venue
Psychological Bulletin
Publisher
American Psychological Association (APA)
Published
1988
Volume
103
Issue
2
Pages
193-210
ISSN
  • 0033-2909 (ISSN-L)
  • 1939-1455
DOI
10.1037/0033-2909.103.2.193
OpenAlex
W2171975196
Semantic Scholar
3331a6d8daa55975dfab8e35f91b42157eb1a2e8
Cited by
7,814
References
285
Citations by year
2026: 129 · 2025: 142 · 2024: 179 · 2023: 212 · 2022: 226 · 2021: 244 · 2020: 222 · 2019: 260 · 2018: 249 · 2017: 265 · 2016: 273 · 2015: 306 · 2014: 304 · 2013: 276 · 2012: 284
FWCI
141.89
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
closed
Locations
  • Psychological Bulletin (publishedVersion)
  • PubMed (publishedVersion)
Funders
  • National Institute of Mental Health (MH 00311)
  • National Cancer Institute (CA-36409)
Topics
  • Social Sciences › Psychology › Applied Psychology › Optimism, Hope, and Well-being
  • Social Sciences › Psychology › Social Psychology › Psychological Well-being and Life Satisfaction
  • Social Sciences › Psychology › Clinical Psychology › Personality Traits and Psychology
Keywords
positive illusions, mental health, well-being, self-perception, optimism, perceived control, reality testing, cognitive distortions
MeSH terms
Adaptation, Psychological, Attitude to Health, Humans, Illusions, Reality Testing, Self Concept

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