Egocentric bias
Encyclopedia
Egocentric bias occurs when people claim more responsibility for themselves for the results of a joint action than an outside observer would credit them.
Besides simply claiming credit for positive outcomes, which might simply be self-serving bias
, people exhibiting egocentric bias also cite themselves as overly responsible for negative outcomes of group behavior as well (however this last attribute would seem to be lacking in megalomania
).
This may be because our own actions are more "available" to us than the actions of others. See availability heuristic
.
Michael Ross and Fiore Sicoly first identified this cognitive bias
.
In a study conducted by Greenberg (1981), it was found that egocentric bias influences perceived fairness. Subjects felt that overpayment to themselves were more fair than overpayment to others; by contrast, they felt the underpayment to themselves were less fair than underpayment to others. Greenberg's studies showed that this egocentricism was eliminated when the subjects were put in a self-aware state, which was induced in his study with a mirror being placed in front of the subjects. When made self-aware, subjects rated overpayment and underpayment to both themselves and to others to be equally unfair. It is believed that these results were obtained because self-awareness heightened subjects' concerns about perceived fairness in payment, thereby overriding egocentric motives.
Egocentric bias has influenced ethical judgements to the point where people not only believe that self-interested outcomes are preferential but are also the morally sound way to proceed.
Besides simply claiming credit for positive outcomes, which might simply be self-serving bias
Self-serving bias
A self-serving bias occurs when people attribute their successes to internal or personal factors but attribute their failures to situational factors beyond their control. The self-serving bias can be seen in the common human tendency to take credit for success but to deny responsibility for failure...
, people exhibiting egocentric bias also cite themselves as overly responsible for negative outcomes of group behavior as well (however this last attribute would seem to be lacking in megalomania
Megalomania
Megalomania is a psycho-pathological condition characterized by delusional fantasies of power, relevance, or omnipotence. 'Megalomania is characterized by an inflated sense of self-esteem and overestimation by persons of their powers and beliefs'...
).
This may be because our own actions are more "available" to us than the actions of others. See availability heuristic
Availability heuristic
The availability heuristic is a phenomenon in which people predict the frequency of an event, or a proportion within a population, based on how easily an example can be brought to mind....
.
Michael Ross and Fiore Sicoly first identified this cognitive bias
Cognitive bias
A cognitive bias is a pattern of deviation in judgment that occurs in particular situations. Implicit in the concept of a "pattern of deviation" is a standard of comparison; this may be the judgment of people outside those particular situations, or may be a set of independently verifiable...
.
In a study conducted by Greenberg (1981), it was found that egocentric bias influences perceived fairness. Subjects felt that overpayment to themselves were more fair than overpayment to others; by contrast, they felt the underpayment to themselves were less fair than underpayment to others. Greenberg's studies showed that this egocentricism was eliminated when the subjects were put in a self-aware state, which was induced in his study with a mirror being placed in front of the subjects. When made self-aware, subjects rated overpayment and underpayment to both themselves and to others to be equally unfair. It is believed that these results were obtained because self-awareness heightened subjects' concerns about perceived fairness in payment, thereby overriding egocentric motives.
Egocentric bias has influenced ethical judgements to the point where people not only believe that self-interested outcomes are preferential but are also the morally sound way to proceed.
- Epley, N., Caruso, E. M.(2004). Egocentric Ethics. Social Justice Research,171-185
- Ross, M. & Sicoly, F. (1979). Egocentric biases in availability and attribution. Journal of Personality and Social PsychologyJournal of Personality and Social PsychologyThe Journal of Personality and Social Psychology is a monthly psychology journal of the American Psychological Association. It is considered one of the top journals in the fields of social and personality psychology. Its focus is on empirical research reports; however, specialized theoretical,...
37, 322-336.