Watch for
Rating yourself above average on common traits.
Outcome & SelfBias #126
Better-Than-Average Effect
Most people think they are above average.
The tendency to overestimate ones abilities intelligence or positive traits relative to the average person especially on common or desirable traits.
Why it matters: Also called the Lake Wobegon Effect. One of the most replicated findings in psychology.
Try this
Use objective benchmarks rather than subjective self-comparison.
Real-world example
90% of drivers rating themselves as above average which is statistically impossible.
Key researchers
Mark Alicke, Ola Svenson
First described in 1981
Psychological mechanism
Egocentric bias in comparison. When comparing to an abstract average people focus on their own strengths while the average persons weaknesses are invisible. Additionally self-enhancement motivation biases upward.
Seminal research
Ola Svenson (1981), "Are we all less risky and more skillful than our fellow drivers?"
Below is a realistic scenario. Read it, then choose what you would do. The feedback will show whether a cognitive bias influenced your choice — not to judge, but to reveal the pattern in action.
Thought Experiment
This experiment places you in a realistic decision. Your instinctive choice will reveal whether bias is at work.
STEP 1 → ReadSTEP 2 → ChooseSTEP 3 → Reveal
Debrief
The better-than-average effect is mathematically impossible for everyone to be above average but most people believe they are. It persists because we have rich access to our own good intentions and limited access to others. The cure: seek objective performance data.
Sources
Original ResearchSvenson (1981) — Driving skill study
EducationalAPA Dictionary entry