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Trait valence and the better-than-average effect.

Ron S Gold1, Mark G Brown

  • 1School of Psychology, Deakin University, VIC 3125, Australia. rongold@deakin.edu.au

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Most people believe they have better personality traits than their peers. This "better-than-average effect" was observed for both positive and negative traits, indicating no difference based on trait valence.

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Area of Science:

  • Social Psychology
  • Cognitive Bias Research

Background:

  • Individuals commonly exhibit a self-enhancement bias, perceiving themselves as superior to average.
  • The 'better-than-average effect' is a well-documented cognitive bias influencing self-perception.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate if the 'better-than-average effect' is influenced by the valence (positive or negative) of personality traits.
  • To determine if self-enhancement differs when evaluating positive versus negative personal attributes.

Main Methods:

  • 154 student participants rated themselves and the average student on traits from positive and negative poles of five dimensions.
  • Comparative analysis was performed on self-ratings versus average peer ratings across different trait valences.

Main Results:

  • The 'better-than-average effect' was consistently observed across all participants and trait types.
  • Trait valence (positive vs. negative) did not significantly moderate the magnitude of the 'better-than-average effect'.

Conclusions:

  • The tendency for self-enhancement is robust and not dependent on whether the trait is desirable or undesirable.
  • Findings align with prospect theory, suggesting cognitive mechanisms underlying biased self-perception regardless of trait valence.