Simultaneous assimilation and contrast effects in judgments of self and others

Judgments of self and referent others tend to be positively related, as evident in the false consensus effect, but others may also be contrasted from the self, as noted in the false uniqueness literature. In 3 studies that examined the domains of attitudes and traits, evidence of both assimilative and contrastive associations between self- and other-judgements were noted, depending on the form of judgment (objective vs. subjective) and the relevant judgment scale anchor (self vs. others). When self-judgments were made first, objective appraisals of reference groups were contrasted from subjective self-appraisals (after controlling for individual differences in participants' behavioral reports). When judgments of others were made first, objective self-ratings were contrasted from subjective other-judgments. Implications for the false consensus literature and the shifting standards model (M. Biernat, M. Manis, & T. E. Nelson, 1991) are discussed.