Mod 4 Self-Serving Bias

UW Whitewater's SOC 355 Social Psychology Myers & Twenge Exploring Social Psychology

"Bias blind spot"

When people claim they avoid self-serving bias themselves but readily acknowledge that others commit this bias (Pronin & others, 2002)

optimism

Having a predisposed positive approach to life.

T or F: Most humans are more disposed to optimism than pessimism.

True (Fischer & Chalmers, 2008)

T or F. Many have a realistic optimism about future life events.

False (Neil Weinstein, 1980, 1982)

illusory optimism

Believing ourselves immune to misfortune.

defensive pessimism

Optimism with a dash of realism (Julie Norem, 2000). Defensive pessimism anticipates problems and motivates effective coping.

self-serving bias

The tendency to perceive oneself favorably

false consensus effect

The tendency to overestimate the commonality of one's opinions and one's undesirable or unsuccessful behaviors.

false uniqueness effect

The tendency to underestimate the commonality of one's abilities and one's desirable or successful behaviors.

T or F: False consensus may occur because we generalize from a limited sample, which prominently includes ourselves.

True (Robyn Dawes, 1990)

Michael Ross and Fiore Sicoly (1979) found that married people believe that they themselves contributed more household work than their spouse gave them credit for.

True

When good things happen, people with low self-esteem are more likely to savor and sustain the good feelings.

False. People with high self-esteem are (Wood & others, 2003).

terror management theory

Positive self-esteem is adaptable, and buffers anxiety (Greenberg et al, 1997, 2008)

positive self-esteem

Viewing oneself as good and secure.

hubris

Excessive pride or self-confidence (in Greek tragedy, leading to nemesis--one's downfall).