To what extent do people usually strive for accuracy in their self-evaluations?

Slide 1: Psy Persp. on Self & Identity Viv Vignoles Topic 1: To what extent do people usually strive for accuracy in their self-evaluations? Alexander Steinhart Course C8027, Spring 2008 Sussex University Alexander Steinhart Topic 1 - ...accuracy in self-evaluations? 1

Slide 2: This Presentation - Overview • Introduction • Main points, briefly – we self-overestimate • Self-Serving Judgments – examples – are (un)aware of this? • Self-Evaluation Process • Information, sources and use • Questions • Discussion Alexander Steinhart Topic 1 - ...accuracy in self-evaluations? 2

Slide 3: We self-overestimate… Alexander Steinhart Topic 1 - ...accuracy in self-evaluations? 3

Slide 4: Self-Serving Judgments Roese N. and Olson J. (2007) Alexander Steinhart Topic 1 - ...accuracy in self-evaluations? 4

Slide 5: e.g. planning fallacy Alexander Steinhart Topic 1 - ...accuracy in self-evaluations? 5

Slide 6: e.g. downward social comparison Alexander Steinhart Topic 1 - ...accuracy in self-evaluations? 6

Slide 7: e.g. attributions of success / failure Zuckerman (1979) Alexander Steinhart Topic 1 - ...accuracy in self-evaluations? 7

Slide 8: …and we have no clue that we do so! Alexander Steinhart Topic 1 - ...accuracy in self-evaluations? 8

Slide 9: … the Self-Evaluation Process I • self-assessment, accurate – ‘people pursue accurate self-knowledge’ • self-verification, conservative – ‘people pursue highly certain self- knowledge’ • self-enhancement, biased – ‘people pursue favourable self-knowledge’ Sedikides (1993) • self-improvement* – adds a dynamic & future oriented quality to the above three that seek more for a status quo *extended by Taylor, Neter & Wayment (1995) Alexander Steinhart Topic 1 - ...accuracy in self-evaluations? 9

Slide 10: … the Self-Evaluation Process II “The self-enhancement motive emerged as the most powerful determinant of the self-evaluation process, followed by the self-verification motive.” “Are people aware of their self- enhancing shading on the self- evaluation process? [..] Experiment 5 suggests that they are not!” Sedikides (1993) … and self-improvement? Taylor, Neter, & Wayment (1995) Alexander Steinhart Topic 1 - ...accuracy in self-evaluations? 10

Slide 11: … the Self-Evaluation Process II • self-assessment, accurate increa se – ‘people pursue accurate self-knowledge’ positiv d e • self-verification, conservative conce p of one tion – ‘people pursue highly certain self- self knowledge’ ct self-enhancement, biased d ire • – ‘people pursue favourable self-knowledge’ ct ire• self-improvement ind – adds a dynamic & future oriented quality to the above three that seek more for a status quo People are not aware of their self-enhancing shading. Sedikides and Strube (1997) Alexander Steinhart Topic 1 - ...accuracy in self-evaluations? 11

Slide 12: Information, sources and use Taylor, Neter & Wayment (1995): “… different motives might be simultaneously satisfied [...] different motives are satisfied by different sources of information …” “Future research should probe the use of social feedback for self-evaluation more fully, detailing in what circumstances and from what targets individuals may elicit feedback. *3” • Self-consistency theory - limited used of information when this is inconsistent with the existing self-concept Alexander Steinhart Topic 1 - ...accuracy in self-evaluations? 12

Slide 13: (Un)aware? “Thus, people misjudge their incompetence not because of lack of honesty with themselves but rather because of a lack of the essential cognitive tools needed to provide correct self-judgments.” Dunning (2006) Alexander Steinhart Topic 1 - ...accuracy in self-evaluations? 13

Slide 14: Summary Q: Do we strive for accuracy in self-evaluations? • we self-overestimate • e.g. Self-Serving Judgments • we are unaware of this • Self-Evaluation Process – Self-enhancement – Self-verification – Self-improvement • Information, sources and use A: Yes, but we do not manage. Alexander Steinhart Topic 1 - ...accuracy in self-evaluations? 14

Slide 15: Further Questions - Discussion • How can it be explained that people hold positive illusions about themselves, their world, and their future, while still copying successfully with an environment that would seem to demand accurate appreciation of feedback? (Taylor & Brown, 1997) • Why do we not strive for accuracy in our self-evaluations? Does this go beyond the positive self? • Is this strive for a positive self based on the own motivation or failure in information processing? • What is the relation of self-esteem in this? Alexander Steinhart Topic 1 - ...accuracy in self-evaluations? 15

Slide 16: Questions? Alexander Steinhart Topic 1 - ...accuracy in self-evaluations? 16

Slide 17: References • Alicke, M. D., Klotz, M. L., Breitenbecher, D. L., Yurak, T. J. & Vredenburg, D. S. (1995). Personal contact, individuation, and the better-than-average effect. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 68, 804-825. • Anseel, F., Lievens, F., & Levy, P.E. (2007). A self-motives perspective on feedback-seeking behavior: Linking organizational behavior and social psychology research. International Journal of Management Reviews, 9, 211- 236. • Dunning, D. (2006). Strangers to ourselves? The Psychologist, 19, 600-603. • Greenwald, A. G. (1980). The totalitarian ego: Fabrication and revision of personal history. American Psychologist, 35, 603-618. • Roese, N. J., & Olson, J. M. (2007). Better, stronger, faster: Self-serving judgment, affect regulation, and the optimal vigilance hypothesis. Perspectives on Psychological Science, 2, 124-141. • Sedikides, C. (1993). Assessment, enhancement, and verification determinants of the selfevaluation process. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 65, 317-338 • Sedikides, C., & Strube, M. J. (1997). Self-evaluation: To thine own self be good, to thine own self be sure, to thine own self be true, and to thine own self be better. In M. P. Zanna (Ed.), Advances in experimental social psychology (Vol. 29, pp. 209–269). New York: Academic Pre • Taylor, S. E., & Brown, J. D. (1994). Positive illusions and well-being revisited: Separating fact from fiction. Psychological Bulletin, 116, 21-27. • Taylor, S. E., Neter, E., & Wayment, H. A. (1995). Self-evaluation processes. Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin, 21, 1278 - 1287. • Vignoles, V. L., Regalia, C., Manzi, C., Golledge, J. & Scabini, E. (2006). Beyond self-esteem: Influence of multiple motives on identity construction. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 90, 308-333. • Zuckerman, M. (1979). Attribution of success and failure revisited: or The motivational bias is alive and well in attribution theory. Journal of Personality, 47, 245-287. Alexander Steinhart Topic 1 - ...accuracy in self-evaluations? 17

Slide 18: Additional Material Anseel, Lievens & Levy (2007) Alexander Steinhart Topic 1 - ...accuracy in self-evaluations? 18