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The Joint Effect of Social Comparison and Social Distance on Evaluation of Intertemporal Choice Outcomes in Event-related Potential Studies
Published on: August 25, 2023
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A newly detected bias in self-evaluation.
Guillaume Deffuant1,2, Thibaut Roubin1, Armelle Nugier2
1Université Clermont Auvergne, INRAE LISC, Aubière, France.
Plos One
|February 8, 2024
Summary
A positive bias in self-evaluation can arise from reduced sensitivity to feedback as self-assessment increases. This study integrates existing theories and confirms this phenomenon experimentally, offering new insights into self-perception biases.
Area of Science:
- Psychology
- Cognitive Science
- Behavioral Economics
Background:
- Self-enhancement motivation is the primary explanation for positive self-evaluation bias, involving downplaying negative feedback and amplifying positive feedback.
- Agent-based simulations suggest an alternative mechanism: a positive bias emerges if feedback sensitivity decreases with increasing self-evaluation.
Purpose of the Study:
- To propose a unified mathematical model integrating self-enhancement motivation and feedback sensitivity.
- To experimentally investigate the relationship between self-evaluation, feedback sensitivity, and positive bias.
Main Methods:
- Development of a simple mathematical model incorporating different bias mechanisms.
- Conducting an experiment with 1509 participants to measure self-evaluation and feedback sensitivity.
Main Results:
- The experiment confirmed that feedback sensitivity decreases as self-evaluation increases.
- A positive bias directly related to this decreasing sensitivity was detected in participants.
Conclusions:
- The findings support the model integrating self-enhancement and feedback sensitivity.
- This research provides empirical evidence for a novel mechanism contributing to positive self-evaluation bias.
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