Mindset, optimistic bias about personal risk and health-protective behaviour

Objectives. Taylor & Gollwitzer (1995) suggested that optimistic biases about risk are not an impediment to precaution adoption. Their 'mindset hypothesis' proposes that such biases are suspended during deliberation over new behaviours and reappear only later during thoughts about implementing these behaviours. This paper examines the research on which the mindset hypothesis was based and presents new data on this issue from an experiment designed to encourage home radon testing (Weinstein, Lyon, Sandman & Cuite, 1998). Method. Homeowners (N = 1346) in an area of high radon risk watched either a 'risk' video that gave information about the need to test, a 'how to test' video that focused on the implementation of testing decisions, or both. Risk perception biases were assessed before and after viewing the videos and purchases of radon test kits were determined. Results. No support was found for the mindset-illusions predictions. In contrast, the data indicated that optimistic biases about personal risk are barriers to action. Conclusion. There are several methodological problems in the design used to support the mindset-illusions hypothesis. In contrast to this hypothesis, it appears that acceptance of personal vulnerability is an important aspect of progress toward precaution adoption. The adaptiveness of optimistic biases about risk is also discussed.