Table 3.

Bad events: comparative likelihood estimates, England.

Bad events	England
Socioeconomic status	All, N = 87		Lower, n = 47			Higher, n = 40
	% Chance for other		% Self-other difference1		Ratio2	% Self-other difference1		Ratio2
	Mean	SD	Mean	SD		Mean	SD
Committing suicide	18.24	17.67	−6.96*	20.09	4.60***	−2.05	19.24	2.67**
Divorce	43.57	22.95	−12.27**	28.81	3.00**	−14.75**	27.73	4.20**
Going bankrupt	23.95	20.42	−4.78*	15.84	3.00**	−1.00	22.28	3.00*
Early death of spouse/partner	36.27	19.80	0.00	18.18	1.50	0.77	12.48	1.50
Son/daughter having a serious illness	29.51	21.38	−6.05*	17.95	2.80*	−6.84**	14.16	12.00**
Serious accident on public transport	26.16	21.48	−0.87	16.40	1.29	−1.75	8.74	3.50
Being burgled	54.77	24.43	−2.61	16.21	1.67	−2.00	15.88	2.00
Getting cancer	43.84	20.82	3.70	17.98	0.92	3.00	10.18	0.50
Heart attack before 60	33.37	18.64	−3.91	19.50	2.22*	−5.00*	14.85	3.40*
Financial problems	48.37	21.79	−1.30	23.92	1.00	−2.00	22.78	1.78
Being run over	55.11	19.93	0.44	10.21	0.63	−1.75	8.44	2.00
Average	35.82	13.69	−3.23**	7.97		−3.56**	7.16

¹% self-other difference: mean values significantly different from zero (one sample t test) are marked with asterisks (*p < 0.05, **p < 0.01, ***p < 0.001).

²Ratio of optimists to pessimists: values significantly different from 1 (chance distribution, χ² test) are marked with asterisks (*p < 0.05, **p < 0.01, ***p < 0.001).