Dave's belief that he is immune to harm despite knowing risks describes which phenomenon?

Dave's belief that he is immune to harm despite knowing risks describes which phenomenon?

• A. The imaginary audience
• B. A personal fable
• C. Social cognition
• D. Metacognition

Answer: (B)

Adolescent egocentrism expressed as a personal fable. The personal fable is the belief that one is unique and invulnerable, so even though Dave knows there are risks, he feels immune to harm. This invulnerability is a hallmark of the personal fable and helps explain why some teens take risks—they assume bad outcomes won’t happen to them. The other ideas don’t fit as neatly: imagining that others are constantly watching describes the imaginary audience, not a sense of invulnerability; metacognition is thinking about one’s own thinking, and social cognition covers how we understand social interactions in general.

Adolescent egocentrism expressed as a personal fable. The personal fable is the belief that one is unique and invulnerable, so even though Dave knows there are risks, he feels immune to harm. This invulnerability is a hallmark of the personal fable and helps explain why some teens take risks—they assume bad outcomes won’t happen to them. The other ideas don’t fit as neatly: imagining that others are constantly watching describes the imaginary audience, not a sense of invulnerability; metacognition is thinking about one’s own thinking, and social cognition covers how we understand social interactions in general.