The evaluation gap in performance perceptions: illusory perceptions of groups and individuals

Four laboratory studies documented systematic performance illusions for individuals and group members. After completing a task, most individuals typically rank their performance below the median (a negative performance illusion) and most group members rank their group performance above the median (a positive performance illusion). This evaluation gap surfaced in all studies; group members consistently assign their group a higher rank than individuals assign themselves. This gap contradicts a number of theories assuming that group biases merely extend individual biases.