Example of Pessimism Bias
- An employee assumes they will be fired during company layoffs, even though they have excellent performance reviews and are considered essential by management.
They overestimate the probability of a negative outcome despite contrary evidence. - A student preparing for a test they have studied extensively for is convinced they will fail, leading to test anxiety that actually impairs their performance.
Pessimistic expectations created a self-fulfilling prophecy.
Note
While optimism bias is more common in the general population, pessimism bias is particularly prevalent in individuals with depression and anxiety disorders.
