Question

All of the following statements about Julie Norem's optimism vs pessimism are true except one. Which statement is FALSE?

A) Julie Norem's work focuses on the concept of defensive pessimism.
B) Defensive pessimism involves setting low expectations to prepare for possible failure.
C) Norem suggests that defensive pessimism is always an adaptive strategy for managing anxiety.
D) Optimism and pessimism, according to Norem, represent distinct cognitive and emotional styles.

Answer 1

The false statement about Julie Norem's research is that she suggests defensive pessimism is always an adaptive strategy for managing anxiety, which is incorrect as it may only sometimes be adaptive.

Step-by-step explanation:

The false statement about Julie Norem's research on optimism and pessimism is: C) Norem suggests that defensive pessimism is always an adaptive strategy for managing anxiety. Norem's work indeed focuses on the concept of defensive pessimism (A), which does involve setting low expectations to prepare for possible failure (B). However, she does not argue that defensive pessimism is always adaptive; rather, it can be a strategy for anxiety management under specific circumstances. Norem's work also articulates that optimism and pessimism are distinct cognitive and emotional styles (D).