What is the Pollyanna Effect?

It is a belief, that people are more likely to perceive and remember positive things about other people or things than negative ones. In the realm of evaluating human performance, the Pollyanna Effect is seen as a precursor to events that might have been prevented if more resources or attention were directed to a solution prior to the consequence. If one persists in the notion that "everything will be alright" even in the face of contradictory evidence or observation of deteriorating conditions, and fails to apply a correction or early solution, then one is said to have been defeated by the "Pollyanna Effect". This focus on a positive outcome in the face of evidence to the contrary can be exhibited by individuals or by groups engaged in problem solving.