Maintaining Positive Illusions in the Face of Negative Information: Getting the Facts Without Letting them Get to You

Recent research on mental health suggests that normal mental functioning is characterized by self-aggrandizing positive biases, namely overly positive self-conceptions, an exaggerated perception of personal control, and overly optimistic assessments of the future. These biases cannot be thought of as defense mechanisms such as repression or denial because they promote rather than undermine other aspects of mental health. Such findings raise the question as to how people maintain overly positive views of themselves, the world, and the future in the face of negative information that challenges such beliefs but would seem to be necessary for effective functioning. We argue that positive illusions are responsive to the utility of information, rather than increasing in response to threat as defensive reactions do. We further argue that the mind processes negative information differently, depending upon the diagnosticity and pervasiveness of that negative information for the self. In such ways, people are able to preserve positive self-conceptions while simultaneously making adaptive use of negative feedback.