Answer to Question 1
Answer:
Fujita et al's research tells me that level of self-construal is about thinking about a goal in either abstract or concrete terms, i.e., why I'm seeking the goal vs. how I'm going about it. One of my biggest goals is to gain control over my level of physical fitness. When I am taking out the time to walk, and putting off other more interesting activities, I find that reminding myself about why I'm trying to attain the goal of physical fitness helps me more than focusing on how far to walk or other details of my exercise program.
Answer to Question 2
Answer:
Unrealistic optimism includes seeing our chances of accomplishment as better than others' chances. But the upside is that we are more likely to be determined to achieve our goals, no matter how unrealistic, and often the extra determination, effort and focus are enough to make the difference in getting the job done. The planning fallacy, although leading to many items not getting done, continues to provide people with daily and weekly goals. So, optimism, no matter how misplaced, provides people with contentment, confidence, self-efficacy, feelings of personal control, and these lead to higher motivation and greater persistence. But could unrealistic optimism lead to poor health care, as in putting off medical examinations? There is no evidence for this. Overall, unrealistic optimism contributes to good psychological well-being and ultimately to good physical health.
