What does optimism bias refer to?

Optimism bias refers to the tendency that individuals have to believe that they are less likely to experience negative events compared to others while simultaneously believing that they are more likely to experience positive events. In this context, viewing things positively while in a good mood aligns with the concept of optimism bias, as individuals tend to harbor a more favorable outlook on situations and their outcomes, often underestimating risks and overestimating their chances of success.

In contrast, the other choices represent different psychological or sociological phenomena that do not align with the specific nature of optimism bias. The first choice describes a negative outlook influenced by mood, the third choice refers to ethnocentrism, where one perceives their own culture as the standard, and the fourth choice involves cultural relativism, which is about assessing cultures based on their own values rather than another’s standards. All these terms are relevant to sociology but do not capture the essence of optimism bias, which focuses on the positive skew in perception related to personal risk and outcomes.