@article {Aucote:August 2008:1354-8506:461,
	author = "Aucote, Helen",
	author = "Gold, Ron",
	title = "Changing perception of average person's risk does not suffice to change perception of comparative risk",
	journal = "Psychology, Health and Medicine",
	volume = "13",
	year = "August 2008",
	abstract = "The direct method of assessing “unrealistic optimism” employs a question of the form, “Compared with the average person, what is the chance that event X will occur to you?” It has been proposed that when individuals construct their responses to this question (direct-estimates) they focus much more strongly on estimates of their own risk (self-estimates) than on estimates of the average person's risk (other-estimates). A challenge to this proposal comes from findings that interventions that alter other-estimates also change direct-estimates. Employing a novel intervention technique, we tested the possibility that such interventions may indirectly also change self-estimates and that this is what accounts for their effect on direct-estimates. Study 1 (n = 58) showed that an intervention which was designed to (and did) affect other-estimates also affected self-estimates, while Study 2 (n = 101) showed that it affected direct-estimates. Study 3 (n = 79) confirmed that we could modify the intervention so as to maintain the effect on other-estimates, but eliminate that on self-estimates. Study 4 (n = 112) demonstrated that when this was done, there was no longer any effect on direct-estimates. The findings are consistent with the proposal that direct-estimates are constructed largely just out of self-estimates. Implications for heath education programs are discussed.",
	pages = "461-470(10)",
	url = "http://www.ingentaconnect.com/content/routledg/cphm/2008/00000013/00000004/art00008"
	doi = "doi:10.1080/13548500701694227"
}