Enhancing others through information selection: Establishing the phenomenon and its preconditions

Area of Science:

• Social Psychology
• Decision-Making
• Information Selection

Background:

• Previous studies indicate a tendency to deliver positive news and flattery.
• Limited understanding exists regarding the motives and generalizability of selecting information to enhance self-views.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the selection of information aimed at enhancing others' self-views.
• To explore the conditions under which this information selection bias occurs and its underlying motives.

Main Methods:

• Seven experiments involving 3,117 participants were conducted, with six preregistered.
• Participants decided whether to inform others that a test was valid or invalid.
• The perceived likability and traits of the test-takers were manipulated.

Main Results:

• Participants selectively presented test validity information to enhance others' self-views.
• This bias was evident when informing likable or neutral individuals but absent for disliked individuals.
• The pattern persisted regardless of the test's nature, the recipient's self-enhancing tendencies, or objective validity information.

Conclusions:

• The tendency to selectively share information to boost self-views is driven by a desire to please others.
• This self-enhancement bias is moderated by interpersonal relationships and the goal of information accuracy.
• Findings highlight the role of social motives in information dissemination and impression management.