Universal biases in self-perception: better and more human than average

Br J Soc Psychol. 2010 Sep;49(Pt 3):627-36. doi: 10.1348/014466610X487779. Epub 2010 Mar 6.

Abstract

There is a well-established tendency for people to see themselves as better than average (self-enhancement), although the universality of this phenomenon is contested. Much less well-known is the tendency for people to see themselves as more human than average (self-humanizing). We examined these biases in six diverse nations: Australia, Germany, Israel, Japan, Singapore, and the USA. Both biases were found in all nations. The self-humanizing effect was obtained independent of self-enhancement, and was stronger than self-enhancement in two nations (Germany and Japan). Self-humanizing was not specific to Western or English-speaking cultures and its magnitude was less cross-culturally variable than self-enhancement. Implications of these findings for research on the self and its biases are discussed.

MeSH terms

  • Adolescent
  • Adult
  • Cross-Cultural Comparison*
  • Data Collection
  • Female
  • Humanism*
  • Humans
  • Individuality
  • Internet
  • Male
  • Prejudice*
  • Self Concept*
  • Social Identification*
  • Students / psychology
  • Young Adult